Agenda item

To submit the report of the Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer.

The report of the Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer which proposed a change to Anglesey’s Council Tax Discretionary Relief Policy was presented for the Executive’s consideration. The proposed amendment would introduce a 100% Council Tax discount for households with a terminally ill occupant. 

Councillor Gary Pritchard, Leader presented the report noting his gratitude to Councillor Jeff Evans for bringing the matter to his attention after seeing press reports of Manchester City Council introducing a similar scheme in line with the approach advocated by the Marie Curie charity. He was pleased that the Executive was able to propose this change and expressed thanks to the Finance Service for undertaking the necessary research. The proposal is to amend the existing Council Tax discretionary relief policy so that households with a terminally ill occupant receive a 100% Council Tax discount. The policy if approved by Full Council, would take effect from 1 April 2026 and be reviewed after twelve months.

The Director of Function (Resources)/Section 151 Officer confirmed that staff had examined  how other councils had implemented similar schemes, including those based on the SR1 certificate which facilitates access to benefits and support for people who are terminally ill. However it was felt that relying solely on the SR1 certificate might restrict eligibility to individuals who may already be receiving support through the Council Tax Reduction scheme. It is therefore proposed to extend eligibility to individuals who do not have an SR1 certificate but can provide a letter from their GP confirming they are terminally ill and may have less than twelve months to live.

The discount will apply for up to twelve months or two months after death, whichever comes first. The financial impact is difficult to quantify as it depends on the number of applicants, the property band, whether the applicant already receives other discounts or Council Tax reduction and whether the exemption lasts for the full twelve months. To manage this risk, the policy will be reviewed after twelve months and a report presented to the Executive.

The Executive’s members were fully supportive of the proposed amendment, recognising that a terminal illness places significant pressure on individuals and their families, and that financial stress can worsen hardship at the end of life. The discount would help ease that burden.

It was resolved to recommend the following to the Full Council  –

·      To approve the amendment to the Council Tax Discretionary Relief Policy to introduce a 100% discount for households with a terminally ill occupant, in accordance with Section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

·      To implement the policy from 1 April 2026, ensuring that application processes and documentation (including SR1 certification) are in place.

·      To delegate authority to the Revenues and Benefits Manager to administer the scheme and make any minor operational adjustments required.

·      To monitor and review the impact of the policy after 12 months and report findings to the Executive.

The meeting adjourned for a short break at this point and resumed at 11:40 a.m.