Agenda and minutes

RESOLVED that the minutes of the meeting held on 4 October 2022 be confirmed and signed by the Chair.

Councillor Longbottom, referred to minute number 21 and asked when the Shared Prosperity Fund would be added to the Policy Scrutiny Work Programme.

The Democratic Services Officer advised that she had liaised with Francesca Bell, Assistant Director Growth and Development who had confirmed that an All Member Briefing on the UK Shared Prosperity Fund would take place instead of presenting to Policy Scrutiny Committee.

No declarations of interest were received.

Tracey Parker, Revenues and Benefits Manager:

a.    presented the proposed scheme for Local Council Tax Support for the financial year 2023/24 and accompanying Exceptional Hardship Payments Scheme, as part of the formal consultation period.

b.    gave the background to the scheme as detailed at paragraph 2 of the report and advised that there were currently 8441 residents claiming Council Tax Support in Lincoln.

c.    advised that there were 2,636 pensioners in receipt of Council Tax Support and they were protected under the legislation so that they would not be affected by any changes made to the Council Tax Support Scheme.

d.    further advised that there were 5,805 working claimants who would be affected by any changes made to the scheme, and such any potential reduction in support being provided. Unless a decision by the Council was made to apply scheme changes to vulnerable working-age customers, the localised Council Tax Scheme.

e.    highlighted the impacts of Covid-19 on the amount of Council Tax Scheme awarded, with significant increases in caseload and cost of the scheme as detailed at paragraph 3 of the report.

f.     referred to paragraph 4 of the report and gave an overview of the current Council Tax Support Scheme.

g.    advised that based on the current core elements of the existing scheme, caseload increases of 0% and 5% had been modelled, along with Council Tax increases of 1.9% and 2.5%. These were summarised in Appendix 1 of the report which gave an indication of the potential cost and savings to the City of Lincoln. Also included was the potential value for non-collection (based on projected collection in the tax base of 98.75%)

h.    explained that as a billing authority the Council could decide whether or not to amend core elements of its Council Tax Support scheme each year. Officers were proposing options for consultation to change certain core elements of the scheme which were summarised at Appendix 1 of the report.

i.      referred to paragraph 5.3 and 5.4 of the report and explained the technical amendments and assumptions that had been made in developing the modelling for each Council Tax Support Scheme.

j.      reported that the options considered for consultation by Executive on 17^th October 2022 were as follows:

·         Option 1: No change to the current scheme;

·         Option 2: Introduction of a ‘banded scheme’ for Universal Credit recipients based on earnings income ( as detailed at paragraph 5.6 of the report)

k.    referred to paragraph 5.8 of the report which detailed the Exceptional Hardship Payments Scheme and proposed an Exceptional Hardship Budget of £25,000 be put in place for 2023/24.

l.      asked for committee’s consideration and comments as part of the formal consultation process.

Question: Asked if there was a banded scheme in place at the moment.

Response: There was not a banded scheme in place at the moment. Currently the Department of Work and Pensions notified the Council if there was a change in Universal Credit and therefore there would be a change to  ...  view the full minutes text for item 25.

The Chair of Policy Scrutiny Committee updated members of the business that had been discussed at the Health Scrutiny meeting held on 12^th October 2022 and 9^th November 2022 these were:

·         North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust: Restoration Recovery Update and Progress on Clinical Strategy for Stamford and Rutland Hospital Site

·         Lincolnshire Pharmaceutical Needs Assessment 2022

·         Spalding GP Surgery Managed List Dispersal

·         East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust

·         Ashley House Service Change

·         Replacement of Lincolnshire’s Adult Acute Mental Health Wards

·         Lakeside Medical Practice, Stamford – Update

·         Lincoln Medical School

·         Integrated Care System Clinical Care Portal Data Sharing

·         General Practice Provision [Lincolnshire Local Medical Committee]

·         General Practice Provision [NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board]

·         Hawthorn Medical Practice Skegness – Care Quality Commission Report

RESOLVED that the report be noted.

The Chair:

a.    presented the report ‘Policy Scrutiny Work Programme 2022-23 and Executive Work Programme Update’.

b.    presented the Executive Work Programme November 2022 – October 2023.

c.    requested councillors to submit  items they wished to scrutinise from the Executive Work Programme and policies of interest.

d.    invited members questions and comments.

Members made no further comments or suggestions regarding the Policy Scrutiny work programme.

RESOLVED that:

1.    the work Policy Scrutiny work programme be noted.

2.    the Executive work programme be noted.