The Council considered the submitted report on proposals for up-rating the current Council Tax Support Scheme for 2015/16.  Members noted that for each financial year the Council must consider whether to revise or replace its current scheme by 31 January.

It was proposed by the Mayor and seconded by Councillor Mills:

(i)         that the uprating of working age personal allowances and non dependant deductions for Council Tax Support from 1 April 2015 is in line with the uprating for national welfare benefits;

(ii)        that the uprating of pension age household allowances for Council Tax Support from 1 April 2015 is in line with the Prescribed pensioner scheme for Council Tax Support from 1 April 2015 set by the Government;

(iii)       that an Exceptional Hardship Fund for 2015/2016 of £80,000 be approved to top up Council Tax Support awards in appropriate cases; and

(iv)       that the Executive Head of Finance be given delegated authority, in consultation with the Mayor and Executive Lead for Employment and Regeneration, Finance for Audit, to make any further adjustments required to the Exceptional Hardship Policy and Fund and the Vulnerable policy.

An amendment was proposed by Councillor Darling and seconded by Councillor Pountney:

(v)        this Council notes that Welfare Reform has resulted in unprecedented levels of financial hardship for our communities in Torbay.  The Chancellor of the Exchequer particularly highlighted, in his Autumn Statement yesterday, the need for further savage cuts to the Welfare System.  This Council is aware that the cuts have resulted in significant hardship for some people in Torbay as there are levels of unmet need which the current Welfare Reform system is unable to tackle.  We therefore request officers to conduct a review of the levels of unmet need and share with our two MPS and central Government the findings of this review.

On being put to the vote, the motion was declared lost.

The original motion was then put to the vote and declared carried.