What is this consultation about?

The Council Tax Support scheme (CTS) is the way we currently help residents on a low income to pay their Council Tax.

The scheme must be reviewed annually and this year the council is deciding whether to change the working age Council Tax Support (CTS) scheme in Barking & Dagenham for 2027/28.

We are legally required to consult on any proposed changes to the scheme. We’re asking you to take part in this consultation to find out what you think about our proposed CTS Scheme, which would start from 01 April 2027.

We will be writing to all Council Tax Support claimants to provide further information of how the proposed new scheme could affect them.

Why is the Council proposing to make changes to the new CTS scheme?

Transitional Protection (TP) is a temporary element within Universal Credit (UC) intended to ensure that households moved from legacy benefits through the Department for Work and Pensions’ managed migration process are not worse off at the point of transfer.

The Council’s current scheme counts Transitional Protection as income. This can reduce the amount of Council Tax Support some residents receive.

Following a recent High Court judgment involving Three Rivers District Council, Councils have reviewed whether it is fair and lawful to count this element as income when calculating Council Tax Support.

The Council is proposing that, from April 2027, this element should no longer be counted as income.

This will require a replacement scheme in 2027/28.

What are we consulting on?

The Council is proposing a change to the Council Tax Support scheme for 2027/28.

The current scheme helps low-income residents by reducing the amount of Council Tax they have to pay. The Council is proposing to keep the current level of support, including the maximum 63% discount for working-age residents.

The only proposed change is to how the scheme treats the Transitional Protection element of Universal Credit.

Transitional Protection is included in some Universal Credit awards to help protect people who have moved from older benefits to Universal Credit. Following a recent High Court judgment involving Three Rivers District Council, councils have reviewed whether it is fair and lawful to count this element as income when calculating Council Tax Support.

The Council’s current scheme counts Transitional Protection as income. This can reduce the amount of Council Tax Support some residents receive. The Council is proposing that, from April 2027, this element should no longer be counted as income.

No other changes are proposed.

The Council is now seeking views on this proposed change before making a final decision.

Have your say on proposed changes

The Council wants to hear residents’ views before making a final decision on the 2027/28 scheme.

The consultation is open from Monday 5th October to Sunday 15th November.

Thank you for taking the time to share your views.