50,000 Birmingham households to get £55 council tax support in discretionary scheme

A discretionary support scheme to help Birmingham households in need with council tax bills has been confirmed for 2023/24 by the city council.

The total reduction in bills will be £55 for almost 50,000 households across the city for people of working age and pensioners. This will result in  1,000 of these households not paying any council tax.

The scheme is funded through a £3.04million award the council has received from the government. The council said that the amounts will automatically be deducted on the new council tax bills being issued this month.

The £55 boost has been announced after the council previously stated that council tax bills in Birmingham would be increasing by the maximum amount of 4.99% - adding more than £90 to a Band D bill in the next financial year.

Cllr Yvonne Mosquito, Cabinet Member for Finance and Resources, said: “We know how tough it is at the moment for people in all parts of the city – which is why we declared a cost of living emergency last year and mobilised our Help in Brum plan.

“As part of this, we have the opportunity to shape a discretionary scheme to support people with their council tax bills. The offer we have assembled for the year ahead will help almost 50,000 households that are in greatest need.

“With the price of everyday goods still rising, I hope this measure will be of some use to those who are eligible, and we will keep exploring every possible avenue to offer further advice, information and support in the weeks and months to come.”