Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA

Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]

NOTE: Please do not edit the subject line when replying to this email. If
you have a processing request, please ensure you quote that reference in
your emails to us.

DEAR R Hughes

Freedom of information request - FOI/7179

Subject: Steps taken to mitigate impact of 15% council tax increase in
Croydon

Your request is being considered and you will receive a response within
the statutory timescale of 20 working days, subject to the application of
any exemptions. Where consideration is being given to exemptions the 20
working day timescale may be extended to a period considered reasonable
depending on the nature and circumstances of your request. In such cases
you will be notified and, where possible, a revised time-scale will be
indicated. In all cases we shall attempt to deal with your request at the
earliest opportunity.

If we are unable to provide you with the information requested we will
notify you of this together with the reason(s) why, and details of how you
may appeal.

Please note that the directorate team may contact you for further
information where we believe that the request is not significantly clear
for us to respond fully. 

Kind Regard

Information Management Team

Croydon Digital Services

Assistant Chief Executive Directorate

7th Floor, Zone B

Bernard Weatherill House

8 Mint Walk

Croydon CR0 1EA

Good morning,

We do not conduct internal reviews before we have concluded the case and issued a response.

However, we have chased the service to get data as soon as possible. We apologise for the delay you have experienced.

Please also ensure your reference number for this case is included in the body or subject line of any correspondence so we are able to track the case in question.

Kind regards,

Information Team
Croydon Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House,
Mint Walk,
Croydon,
CR0 1EA

[Croydon Borough Council request email]
[email address]

show quoted sections

Information Team Croydon
Digital Services
Assistant Chief Executive Directorate
Bernard Wetherill House
7th Floor, Zone B
Croydon
CR0 1EA

Contact: Information Team
[Croydon Borough Council request email]

Dear Mr R Hughes

Request FOI/7179

Further to your request received on 07/03/2023, I confirm that the Council
has now considered your request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
For ease of reference, we will answer each question in turn:

1. Any documentation that provides evidence that the council has taken
steps to mitigate the impact the 15% council tax increase will have on
residents

This information is provided on our website and is therefore exempt from
Croydon Council under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000,
‘Information reasonably accessible to the applicant by other means’.

Section 21 is an absolute exemption and therefore does not require the
public interests balancing test to be applied.  The council can confirm
that the requested information can be accessed through the following link:

[1](Public Pack)Council Tax and Budget 2023-24 Agenda Supplement for
Council, 08/03/2023 18:30 (croydon.gov.uk)

[2](Public Pack)Agenda Document for Council, 01/03/2023 18:30
(croydon.gov.uk)

2. Please include any Equalities, Impact and Needs Assessment

This information is provided on our website and is therefore exempt from
Croydon Council under Section 21 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000,
‘Information reasonably accessible to the applicant by other means’.

Section 21 is an absolute exemption and therefore does not require the
public interests balancing test to be applied.  The council can confirm
that the requested information can be accessed through the following link:

[3](Public Pack)Council Tax and Budget 2023-24 Agenda Supplement for
Council, 08/03/2023 18:30 (croydon.gov.uk)

[4](Public Pack)Agenda Document for Council, 01/03/2023 18:30
(croydon.gov.uk)

3. What the income bands will be if Council Tax Support income bands
increase by 15% for the year 2023/24.

Weekly income Pensioners and disabled Lone parents with All other
non-working a child under 5 claimants
£0 to 130.99 100% 80% 75%
£131 to 180.99 100% 70% 60%
£181 to 230.99 100% 60% 40%
£231 to 280.99 100% 50% 30%
£281 to 330.99 100% 40% 20%
£331 to 380.99 100% 30% 15%
£381 to 430.99 100% 20% 10%
£431+ 100% 0% 0%

5. What funds make up the £38million Council Tax Support fund

Please see answers to Q.6 regarding Council Tax Support for financial
year’s 2020/21 to 2022/23 and predicted for 2023/24. However, the figure’s
for any individual financial year are not as you stated, £38 million.

6. Council Tax Support funds available and Council Tax Support fund spend
for years 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 & predicted for 2023/24

Please find the Council’s Council Tax Support expenditure below:

2020/21 - £33,527,073.77

2021/22 - £35,083,108.23

2022/23 - £28,896,182.65

2023/24 - £33,394,040.04

7. Hardship Fund available for year 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23 and
predicted for 2023/24.

The Council have a Section 13a hardship fund, known as the Council Tax
discretionary relief, Section 13a.

From 2022/23 - £2m over 2 years for Council Tax Support transitional
funding to help residents transition into the new Council Tax Support
income banded scheme.

From 2023/24 ongoing we also have a Council Tax Hardship scheme which is
£2m year on year to support residents who may struggle to pay Council Tax
due to the 2023/24 increase in Croydon Council Tax above the national
average and the cost of living crisis.

The Council publishes Access to Information requests and responses on its
online Disclosure Log. (Any request included within this log will be
anonymised appropriately)

To view the Council’s Disclosure Log, please visit our website available
here:

[5]The Freedom of Information (FOI) Act | Croydon Council
(disclosure-log.co.uk)

If you are dissatisfied with the way the Council has handled your request
under the Freedom of Information Act, you may ask for an internal review.
This should be submitted to us within 40 working days of this response.
You can do this by outlining the details of your complaint by:

Email:        [6][Croydon Borough Council request email]

Writing:     Information Team

London Borough of Croydon

Bernard Weatherill House

Floor 7 - Zone B

8 Mint Walk

Croydon, CR0 1EA

Any requests received after the 40 working day time limit will be
considered only at the discretion of the council.

If you are not content with the outcome of the internal review, you have
the right to apply directly to the Information Commissioner for a
decision. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire, SK9 5AF

Yours sincerely,

Information Team

Croydon Digital Services

Assistant Chief Executive Directorate

Bernard Wetherill House,

Mint Walk,

Croydon,

CR0 1EA

[7][Croydon Borough Council request email]

[8][email address]

References

Visible links
1. https://democracy.croydon.gov.uk/documen...
2. https://democracy.croydon.gov.uk/documen...
3. https://democracy.croydon.gov.uk/documen...
4. https://democracy.croydon.gov.uk/documen...
5. https://croydon.disclosure-log.co.uk/
6. mailto:[Croydon Borough Council request email]
7. mailto:[Croydon Borough Council request email]
8. mailto:[email address]