Government confirms it will plough £500million into an emergency hardship fund to cover council tax bills for vulnerable people worst affected by coronavirus
- The money for councils to give tax relief to vulnerable people and households
- Budget move confirmed by Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick this morning
- It will be used to reduce the 2020/21 council tax bills of working-age people who receive local council tax support
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Families at most risk of financial hardship as a result of the economic collapse caused by coronavirus will be able to get help with their council tax payments after the Government confirmed set up a £500million hardship fund,.
The money for councils to give tax relief to vulnerable people and households, first announced in the Budget, was confirmed by Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick this morning.
The money will go to local authorities in England to enable them to reduce the 2020/21 council tax bills of working-age people who receive local council tax support, he said.
Councils will also be able to use the funding to provide further discretionary support to vulnerable people through other support arrangements, such as local welfare schemes.
Mr Jenrick said: ‘Providing the necessary financial support to people and families is critical at this difficult time when many people will be concerned about changes to their income.
‘That’s why we’re giving local councils an additional £500 million, to ensure help is available for the most vulnerable people in our society who are struggling to pay their council tax bills.
‘The Government is on your side and will do whatever takes to help.’
The money for councils to give tax relief to vulnerable people and households, first announced in the Budget, was confirmed by Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick this morning
The money will go to local authorities in England to enable them to reduce the 2020/21 council tax bills of working-age people who receive local council tax support, he said
Clouncillor Richard Watts, chairman of the Local Government Association’s resources board, said: ‘We are pleased that councils will now be able to provide much-needed support to many households on the lowest incomes by quickly reducing or removing the need for them to pay council tax.
‘Councils are leading local efforts to support communities as they try and cope with the coronavirus outbreak.
‘By accepting our call for local flexibility over some of this hardship funding, councils can better-target some of it towards people who may be especially, or newly, vulnerable as a result of the coronavirus, using existing local welfare schemes.
‘We also urge the Government to distribute funding for the business support scheme sooner rather than later so they can also facilitate speedy transfer of money to businesses.’