Council Tax Reduction for around half a million Scots

Scotland’s Chief Statistician today released the latest Council Tax Reduction estimates. In March 2018, Scotland’s Council Tax Reduction scheme supported 484,910 households and the total weekly income foregone by local authorities was £6.4 million.

The total number of Council Tax Reduction claimants  in Scotland was 12 per cent (67,470 claimants) lower in March 2018 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. 

Of all Council Tax Reduction claimants in March 2018:

• 58 per cent (280,240 claimants) were in one of the 30 per cent most deprived areas in Scotland up from 50 per cent at the same time last year;
• Just over 37 per cent (179,520 claimants) were aged 65 or over; and
• 16 per cent (77,800 claimants) were lone parents.

The provisional income foregone on Council Tax Reduction in Scotland in 2017-18 was £329.4 million.

Background

The full statistical publication is available at www.gov.scot/stats/bulletins/01309

This publication contains figures on Council Tax Reduction recipients and income foregone by local authorities; and further analysis relating to age, gender, family status, deprivation on a caseload and weekly award of CTR covering the time period from April 2017 to March 2018. 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 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 are published for each quarter.  This news release provides the annual compendium, covering the year from April 2017 to March 2018.

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