Council Tax reduction for around half a million Scots

 Scotland’s Chief Statistician today released the latest Council Tax Reduction estimates. In December 2017, Scotland’s Council Tax Reduction scheme supported 483,980 households and the total weekly income foregone by local authorities was £6.4 million.

The total number of Council Tax Reduction recipients in Scotland was 12.4 per cent (68,400 recipients) lower in December 2017 than it was at the beginning of the scheme in April 2013.

In general, this fall has been gradual, punctuated by small rises each January to March. Since April 2017, reforms to Council Tax and to Council Tax Reduction have exerted an upward pressure on recipient numbers. However, this is against a backdrop of a long-term downward trend since April 2013. These reforms are also reflected in the increase in income forgone between March and December 2017 of almost £130,000 per week. This is within forecast spending for 2017-18.

Background

The full statistical publication is available at http://www.gov.scot/stats/bulletins/2017/09/01301

This publication contains figures on Council Tax Reduction recipients and income foregone by local authorities, covering the time period from October to December 2017. Statistics for each month from April 2013 are available at:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Local-Government-Finance/CTR/LAtables

The information published is used by The Scottish Government, COSLA and local authorities to monitor the number of people receiving Council Tax Reduction and the amounts being spent on the scheme. The figures are used to help allocate funding for future years.

Tables showing Council Tax Reduction recipients and income foregone in each local authority will be published for each quarter in 2017-18. An annual compendium, covering the year from April 2017 to March 2018, will be published in June 2018 and will include detailed information on Council Tax Reduction recipients and their characteristics.

Further information on Council Tax Reduction statistics, including previous publications can be accessed at:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Local-Government-Finance/CTR

Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff – more information on the standards of official statistics in Scotland can be accessed at: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/About