Council Tax Reduction for around half a million households in Scotland

Scotland’s Chief Statistician today released the latest Council Tax Reduction estimates. In December 2016, Scotland’s Council Tax Reduction scheme supported 490,410 households and the total weekly income foregone by local authorities was £6.2 million.

The statistics show a gradual decrease in the number of people in receipt of Council Tax Reduction since the scheme was introduced in Scotland in April 2013. The number of recipients decreased by 11.2 per cent between April 2013 and December 2016.

Background

The full statistical publication is available at http://www.gov.scot/stats/bulletins/01264 .

This publication contains figures on Council Tax Reduction recipients and income foregone by local authorities, covering the time period from October to December 2016. Statistics for each month from 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 local authorities 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 foregone in each local authority will be published for each quarter in 2016-17. An annual compendium publication will cover the period from April 2016 to March 2017 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