Have your say on proposed changes to the Council Tax Support Scheme for working-age adults.

To provide your feedback and views, please complete our survey below by 13 December 2026.

Why change?

Last year the Government made changes to the way local government is funded. This change meant the amount of general funding Cornwall Council receives from Government was less than planned.

This change came at a time when our budgets are already under a lot of pressure as a result of increased demand for services such as social care, housing support and support for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities. We are working hard to manage the demand for these services and to find ways to reduce the cost of providing all our services, but the costs increase faster than our income.

What is the Council Tax Support Scheme?

Council tax Support is a means-tested support scheme that provides claimants with a discount on their Council Tax. There is a scheme for people of pensionable age and a scheme for people of working age.

The pension age scheme follows rules set by Government and will not change, but since 2013 all local authorities including Cornwall Council are responsible for their own working age Council Tax Support schemes.

Cornwall Council’s working age Council Tax Support scheme is means tested and households have to apply if they wish to be granted a discount on their Council Tax bill. The household’s income, capital and personal circumstances are all considered, in order to decide if any discount can be awarded.

The level of Council Tax Support entitlement is calculated by first determining the minimum level of income the household is considered to need. This is called the Applicable Amount and is based on factors such as household composition and certain disability benefits. The maximum Council Tax Support entitlement is reduced by 20p for every £1 if the household has an income above this Applicable Amount. For more detailed information about the scheme, please see the full policy on our website.

Currently, a maximum discount of 75% is available and 91% of claimants receive this discount.

Cornwall Council has to consider each year whether or not to make changes to any of its Council Tax Reduction schemes. The scheme for working age adults have not changed since 2013.

Given the current financial pressures, we need to consider reducing the overall cost of the scheme.

What are we consulting on?

The Council is consulting on options for changing the current 75% maximum discount available to claimants of working age Council Tax Support from April 2027 onwards.

The options range from no change (75% maximum) to reducing the maximum discount to 70%, 65%, 60% or 55%.

No decisions have been taken at this point.

What would be the impact?

In total 19,009 households of working age currently receive Council Tax Support. All would be impacted if the level of support were to be reduced. The ‘no change’ option to keep the 75% maximum would not have an impact on claimants.

The breakdown below shows the indicative increase in Council Tax payments that Council Tax Support recipients would have to pay on average if the maximum support available were to be reduced.

NB Please note that these figures are based on the average council tax bill for the current year. Actual bills will vary depending on the parish precept. The figures are based on the assumption that a recipient receives the maximum discount available, so do not take account of any reductions in the Council Tax Support award that would apply for household income above the ‘Applicable Amount.

Expected average increase in Council Tax payments for recipients of Council Tax Support

70 % Council Tax Support

Band A: £86.36 per year or £1.66 per week
Band B: £172.73 per year or £3.32 per week
Band C: £259.09 per year or £4.98 per week
Band D: £345.46 per year or £6.64 per week

65 % Council Tax Support

Band A: £100.76 per year or £1.94 per week
Band B: £201.52 per year or £3.88 per week
Band C: £302.27 per year or £5.81 per week
Band D: £403.03 per year or £7.75 per week

60 % Council Tax Support

Band A: £115.15 per year or £2.21 per week
Band B: £230.31 per year or £4.43 per week
Band C: £345.46 per year or £6.64 per week
Band D: £460.61 per year or £8.86 per week

55 % Council Tax Support

Band A: £129.55 per year or £2.49 per week
Band B: £259.09 per year or £4.98 per week
Band C: £388.64 per year or £7.47 per week
Band D: £518.191 per year or £9.97 per week

Expected Impact of options on overall costs of the working age Council Tax Support scheme and savings for Cornwall Council.

The various options also have an impact on the overall cost of the Council Tax Support scheme and the Council’s finances: The table below shows, for each option, the indicative reduction in costs of the Council Tax Support scheme, the amount of savings that means to Cornwall Council’s contribution to the scheme costs. Where the savings for Cornwall Council are less than the £5m reduction target, the table also includes the amount of savings the Council would need to find from elsewhere. The figures reflect the projected cost of the scheme and savings for 2027-28.

75% Maximum Support

Reduction in Scheme Costs (£) n.a., Scheme cost savings for Cornwall Council n.a.
Savings the Council would need to find elsewhere: £5m

70% Maximum Support

Reduction in Scheme Costs: £1.642m, Scheme cost savings for Cornwall Council: £1.322m
Savings the Council would need to find elsewhere: £3.678m

65% Maximum Support

Reduction in Scheme Costs: £3.229m, Scheme cost savings for Cornwall Council: £2.600m
Savings the Council would need to find elsewhere: £2.400m

60% Maximum Support

Reduction in Scheme Costs: £4.804m, Scheme cost savings for Cornwall Council: £3.867m
Savings the Council would need to find elsewhere: £1.133m

55% Maximum Support

Reduction in Scheme Costs: £6.362m
Scheme cost savings for Cornwall Council: £5.121m
Savings the Council would need to find elsewhere: n.a.

To help affected households, the Council would work with partner organisations to provide affected residents with budgeting advice and support. The exact package of support would be developed following consultation and would be subject to available resources and funding. Any investment in additional support services would need to be balanced against the savings achieved through changes to the Council Tax Support scheme.

How does the consultation work?

Before we make any decisions about the future of the Council Tax Support scheme for working age adults, we want to better understand views and opinions.

If you are currently receiving Council Tax Support, please tell us how the various options being considered would impact on your day to day life. Is there any support or advice we or others could provide to help you manage that impact?

To provide your feedback and views, please complete our survey below by 13 December 2026.

Next steps

On 16 December 2026 Cornwall Council’s Cabinet will make a recommendation to Full Council about any changes to the Council Tax Support scheme. They will consider the feedback from this consultation before making that recommendation. If any changes are recommended, Cornwall Councillors will vote on accepting that recommendation at their meeting in January 2027. A full report of the consultation feedback will be available to them before they make their decision.

Should any changes be agreed through this process, they would come into effect from 1 April 2027 onwards.

Help and support

If you need help with budgetary support and advice to understand how an increase in your council tax contribution may affect you, please contact one of the following organisations:

• Citizens Advice Cornwall | Free Advice
• Money Helper
• StepChange Debt Charity. Free Expert Debt Help & Advice

If you need help with responding to this consultation, please contact our assessment advisers on 0300 1234 121 option 3.