The poorest residents in County Durham are set to lose full council tax support due to the latest proposed cutbacks from Durham County Council.
In 2013, the Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme (LCTRS) was introduced to offer eligible working-age residents discounts on their council tax bills.
The scheme currently supports 31,200 claimants, up to 84% of whom have no council tax charges to pay.
Durham County Council’s proposals include the introduction of an income-banded Local Council Tax Reduction scheme for working-age residents from April 1, 2026, and a reduction in the maximum level of support available to working-age residents from 100% to 90%.
The changes mean that the region’s poorest residents, who are already struggling to live, would have to make a 10% contribution to their Council Tax bill.
In an interview with the Northern Echo, Andrew Cowan, a 51-year-old chronically ill former counter-terrorism firearms officer, said: “If I have to pay council tax again, I don’t know what I’ll do. Bills are going up no matter what, so I need the 100 per cent relief. If I had to pay even a percentage, it would impact my daily life. I would struggle to live without the support.”
Councillor Darren Grimes (Reform UK), deputy leader of the County Council, said: “The unavoidable cost pressures we face are driven by nationally determined factors and from nationally set legislative requirements, over which we have no control. We have made a strong case for additional funding, so we hope that the government does indeed deliver on this promise to fix the foundations because, as things stand, we are facing an uncertain financial outlook for the council, which is necessitating very difficult decisions on service cuts versus council tax increases.”
Durham County Council’s cabinet is due to approve the proposals on November 19, ahead of a final decision at a full council meeting in December.