Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Cabinet Office
Today, I am publishing the Council Tax Reduction Scheme Annual Report for 2023-24.
Since 2013-14, the Welsh Government has protected vulnerable and low‑income households across Wales by maintaining full entitlements to support with their council tax bills, under our national Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS).
We have continued to support the scheme with the provision of £244m in the annual local government settlement. The tailored nature of our national scheme means this support is targeted towards those who need it most.
In 2023-24, this meant that more than 268,000 vulnerable and low-income households – around one in five households – benefited from a reduction in their council tax. Of these, almost 214,500 households paid no council tax at all.
As always, and particularly in the current uncertain and challenging economic circumstances, I would encourage everyone to check our website to see whether they are entitled for help with their council tax bill, either through our reduction scheme or through one of the wide range of discounts and exemptions available. People struggling with council tax debt should always contact their local authority immediately, or call AdviceLink Cymru on 0800 702 2020.
We are reviewing the Council Tax Reduction Scheme as part of our commitment to make council tax fairer. Our aim is to ensure the scheme is more accessible for everyone who needs it, reflects the changes in our economy, targets support effectively, and takes account of the impact of Universal Credit. We recently consulted on a number of changes to the Council Tax Reduction Scheme to make it easier to access and simpler to administer. The responses to this consultation are currently being reviewed. Details of the outcome will be published in due course.
I am grateful for the continued assistance of local authorities in delivering the CTRS in Wales and in helping to ensure that this important financial support reaches eligible households. I remain committed to ensuring that, where our budgets allow, action is taken to mitigate the effects of the cost-of-living crisis we are living through.
The annual report is available here