Wiltshire Council proposes simplification to Council Tax Reduction Scheme for working-age residents

Tuesday, 7 October 2025 06:00

Wiltshire Council is proposing a small but important change to how it supports working-age residents who receive Universal Credit with their Council Tax through the Council Tax Reduction Scheme.

Currently, the amount of support people receive can change from month to month, even if their income fluctuates slightly. This can make the administrative process complicated and confusing for residents and for the council.

From April 2026, the council proposes to simplify the scheme by updating support only when there is a significant change in someone’s circumstances. This could include:

Moving house
Starting or leaving a job
A change in income
Someone moving in or out of the household

Should the changes to the scheme be formally introduced, residents will be asked to notify the council when these types of changes occur.

This proposed change will only affect people who are working age and under the age of 66 years who receive support through the Council Tax Reduction Scheme. This change will not affect those who are of pensionable age (66 years or older).

Cllr Gavin Grant, Cabinet Member for Finance, said: “We want to make it easier for people to understand and manage the support they receive with their Council Tax. By focusing updates on significant changes rather than monthly fluctuations, we can reduce confusion and make the system fairer and more transparent. This proposal is about making things simpler for working-age residents while continuing to provide vital support where it’s needed most.”

Wiltshire Council is seeking feedback on this proposal before it is finalised. Residents are encouraged to complete the survey on the Wiltshire Council website to help shape the future of the scheme. The survey will run from Monday, 6th October to Friday, 31st October 2025.

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