Fewer Worthing households to pay any council tax at all next year

Since 2015 all working age residents in Worthing have had to pay a minimum of £5 council tax per week, unless they’re eligible for an exemption.

This measure will be scrapped in April after councillors backed the move.

It is thought that this will see even more families claiming council tax support as Universal Credit claimants won’t have to complete a separate application form.

A hardship fund is also set to be removed as the council believes it will no longer be needed once the minimum payments are scrapped.

The change was first supported a year ago, when the Conservatives controlled the council, but it could not be adopted immediately as West Sussex County Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner needed to be consulted. This is because both receive a share of council tax collected in Worthing.

Scrapping the minimum payment is expected to reduce income by £89,000 for Worthing Borough Council; £550,000 for WSCC; and £79,000 for the Sussex Police Authority.

PCC Katy Bourne supported the change but said the lost income is the equivalent to two Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs).

Around 190 people responded to a public consultation and 34 per cent agreed the minimum charge should be scrapped. However, the majority of respondents wanted to see residents contributing between £2.00 and £7.50 in council tax per week.

Some said they ‘struggled’ with the £5 payment while others believed ‘every household should pay towards our local amenities’.

Only 20 per cent of respondents said they received council tax support.

Opinion was split during a full council meeting on Tuesday (13 December).

Many councillors supported the move but some were critical of removing the hardship fund, a recommendation they felt had been ‘slipped in’.

Dan Humphreys (Con, Offington) said: “The Labour group absolutely has the mandate to change the restriction. What seems to have been slipped in, is the discretionary funding for those in severe financial difficulty will no longer be required. [The] Labour council leader has just told us this budget to support those in severe financial difficulties will no longer be required.”

Mr Humphreys also criticised the public consultation and claimed the Labour group was ‘not listening’.

“It’s utter nonsense to suggest that there was anything like the majority of people saying they wanted to remove the restriction,” he said, “If anything, three quarters or more of respondents were in favour of keeping the scheme as it was or, frankly, increasing it.”

Mr Humphreys’ amendment to keep the hardship fund was not supported.

Council leader Beccy Cooper explained the decision to get rid of the hardship fund.

“We’re not saying that people aren’t in hardship, we’re not saying that people don’t need support,” she said, “But this particular fund was there for people who couldn’t afford to pay the five pounds, and now they don’t have to pay that any more.”

Dr Cooper said public consultations were used to give ‘advisory’ and not ‘binding’ opinions.