Council Tax rates in Highland frozen for 2021/22
At the meeting of The Highland Council on 4 March 2021, it was agreed by elected members that there will be no increase applied to Council Tax rates for the financial year 2021/22, which begins on 1 April 2021. Rates will therefore remain at the current 2020/21 levels.
The decision to freeze Council Tax at 2020/21 levels was possible due to equivalent funding provided by Scottish Government to alleviate a shortfall in the Council’s budget, which would otherwise have been met through applying an increase to Council Tax rates.
Councillor Matthew Reiss, Vice Chair of the Corporate Resources Committee, said: “It is essential that we help to protect low income families and household incomes within Highland and receipt of Scottish Government funding this year means that we can freeze Council Tax rates for the new financial year.”
He continued: “Despite this freeze, I understand that many individuals continue to face on-going financial pressures as a result of the pandemic. I would therefore encourage Highland residents to check if they are entitled to any financial assistance – particularly Council Tax Reduction – in order to reduce bills and maximise household income.”
Lead budget spokesperson for the Opposition, Cllr Ian Cockburn said: “I am pleased that members of the committee successfully reached agreement to allow this budget to be passed. I commend the members and officers who were involved in the task of preparing these proposals for their considerable efforts – this is undoubtedly a robust budget with the best intentions for our local communities and residents at its heart. The Council remains committed to supporting Highland residents and businesses recover from the impact of this crisis through continued investment in communities and the local economy.”
While Councils in Scotland collect water and waste water charges as part of Council Tax, annual changes to these service charges are set independently by Scottish Water.
Council Tax charges for 2021/22 – along with the revised Scottish Water service charges – will be published on Highland Council's website shortly.
Council Tax Reduction is available for those on low incomes and can reduce Council Tax by up to 100%. For a Band D property this can be as much as £1,332.33, leaving only the Scottish Water and Waste Water charges to pay. Households already in receipt of Council Tax Reduction will have their entitlement automatically recalculated and their 2021/22 Council Tax bill will be adjusted accordingly.
Further detail on the Council Tax Reduction scheme and details on how to apply can be found at: https://www.highland.gov.uk/info/701/council_tax/412/housing_benefit_and_council_tax_reduction
Households can check online whether they can reduce their council tax bill by completing the ‘Apply Once’ application form at www.highland.gov.uk/applyonce. Households supply their details only once and all Council-administered entitlements which are legitimately available to them will be put into payment. Alternatively, the Council’s Welfare Support Team can support individual households to complete the relevant forms in order to maximise their incomes and reduce their outgoings. The team can be contacted on 0800 090 1004.
Households that would like support with managing their money can contact their local Citizens Advice Bureau which provides this advice service on behalf of The Highland Council.
Households who are currently paying their Council Tax by Direct Debit do not need to cancel or change their existing payment amount as this will be updated automatically from 1 April 2021.
There are a number of Direct Debit payment options to choose from:
• lump sum payment on the 1st, 15th or 28th of the month;
• weekly on a Friday;
• fortnightly on a Friday;
• 10 monthly instalments on the 1st, 15th or 28th of the month from April to January (payment holiday February and March);
• 10 monthly instalments on the 1st, 15th or 28th of the month from April to June and September to March (payment holiday July and August);
• 10 monthly instalments on the 1st, 15th or 28th of the month from April to November and February to March (payment holiday December and January);
• 12 monthly instalments on the 1st, 15th or 28th of the month; or
• quarterly instalments on the 1st of the following months: April, July, October and January.
For those who wish to start paying by Direct Debit, a mandate needs to be completed only once. Thereafter the correct amounts are collected each year. Please see here for details: www.highland.gov.uk/counciltax
Full Council Tax information including ways to pay and how to reduce the council tax bill are available online at www.highland.gov.uk/counciltax
ENDS