Council Tax reduction for almost half a million Scots

Scotland’s Chief Statistician has released the latest Council Tax Reduction (CTR) estimates. In June 2019, Scotland’s Council Tax Reduction scheme supported 472,640 households and the total weekly income forgone by local authorities was £6.6 million.

The total number of CTR recipients in June 2019 was 14.4 per cent less (79,740 recipients) than it was at the beginning of the scheme in April 2013. Generally, the decline in the number of recipients has been gradual over this period. However, increases and reform to Council Tax and CTR in April 2017 and further increases in Council Tax in April 2018 and April 2019 has resulted in additional increases in income forgone.

The agreement between the Scottish Government and local government for locally determined Council Tax increases to be capped at 4.79 per cent in 2019-20 reflects the increase in weekly income forgone in April 2019.

Background

The full statistical publication Council Tax Reduction in Scotland - April to June 2019 contains figures on Council Tax Reduction recipients and income forgone by local authorities, covering the time period from April to June 2019. Statistics for each month since 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, CoSLA and councils 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 forgone in each local authority will be published for each quarter in 2019-20. An annual compendium publication will be published in June 2020 covering the period from April 2019 to March 2020 and will include detailed information on Council Tax Reduction recipients and their characteristics.

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