Court Rules against Town Hall on Council Tax Scheme

Councils across England may have to overhaul their procedures on reducing council tax support after a court ruled a London borough’s consultation was unlawful.  The Supreme Court has decided that Haringey Council’s 2012 consultation on the establishment of a council tax support scheme was unlawful. In April 2013, the government abolished council tax benefit. Local authorities have since consulted on and implemented replacement schemes. However, due to a 10% cut in funding, the majority of councils adopted schemes that reduced the level of support available. The Supreme Court found that Haringey Council’s consultation was unlawful because it failed to provide alternative options for meeting the funding shortfall other than a reduction in support. The court found the document misleadingly suggested that the only option available was to reduce the support available. Read more on Inside Housing.