Group 5: Council tax: single person discount (Amendment 14)

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:20 pm on 9 July 2024.

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Photo of Rebecca Evans Rebecca Evans Labour 5:20, 9 July 2024

Amendment 14 introduces a requirement that, in any future regulations made relating to the future of the single person discount, the discount must be at least 25 per cent. This is an important area of support for over 0.5 million households right across Wales. The wider purpose of section 18 of the Bill is to modernise, consolidate and provide consistency across the range of powers in the 1992 Act that currently set council tax liability. The legal landscape is complicated and inconsistent, having grown incrementally over 30 years, making it hard for taxpayers to understand the range of discounts, exemptions and disregards. It's also complex for advice agencies, such as Citizens Advice, to navigate when helping people, and for local authorities to administer. I have been absolutely clear, however, that I will restate the single person discount at 25 per cent in regulations. The single person discount is and will continue to be enshrined into law. So, in conclusion, I would ask Members to resist amendment 14.