Case Studies Archive | Policy in Practice

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Date

Start Time

Duration

Test In recent years, Council Tax arrears in England have hit a record £6 billion.

As we move into 2026, the design of local Council Tax Reduction (CTR) schemes remains one of the most powerful levers councils have to protect low income residents from falling into arrears.

Join us at this webinar to explore practical solutions focused on:

• Trends in council tax support schemes: Preparing for LGR and the April budget changes
• Streamlined collection: Aligning CTR scheme design to make it simple to administer, and combine this with flexible, effective and sustainable debt management practices
• Local government reorganisation: Best practices to harmonise disparate schemes and be ready for the transition
• Efficiency through automation: How South Norfolk & Broadland councils are working to increase take-up while reducing the administrative burden of Universal Credit fluctuations through income-banded schemes and automated modelling

The policy landscape is shifting rapidly. The government’s new Child Poverty Strategy introduces statutory requirements for councils to ensure their schemes actively reduce inequality and align with supportive collection practices, while LGR and changes to local government funding impact on scheme design.

Deven Ghelani (Director) and Rory Ewan (Senior Policy and Data Analyst) of Policy in Practice will discuss the impact of these policy changes and practical approaches based on our analysis of over 150 schemes. We will also be joined by Lindsay Sayer who will share her experience of CTRS redesign in South Norfolk and Broadland, and harmonisation across the districts.

This webinar will aim to provide Heads of Revenues and Benefits, Revenues Managers, Finance Directors and policy leads with the tools to navigate complex legislative changes and design data driven, resilient schemes.

By acting now, councils can turn these policy challenges into an opportunity to deliver fairer, more efficient support.

4/2/2026

9:00am GMT

30 minutes

Council Tax Reduction: Practical approaches to policy reform and supporting the most vulnerable In recent years, Council Tax arrears in England have hit a record £6 billion.

As we move into 2026, the design of local Council Tax Reduction (CTR) schemes remains one of the most powerful levers councils have to protect low income residents from falling into arrears.

Join us at this webinar to explore practical solutions focused on:

• Trends in council tax support schemes: Preparing for LGR and the April budget changes
• Streamlined collection: Aligning CTR scheme design to make it simple to administer, and combine this with flexible, effective and sustainable debt management practices
• Local government reorganisation: Best practices to harmonise disparate schemes and be ready for the transition
• Efficiency through automation: How South Norfolk & Broadland councils are working to increase take-up while reducing the administrative burden of Universal Credit fluctuations through income-banded schemes and automated modelling

The policy landscape is shifting rapidly. The government’s new Child Poverty Strategy introduces statutory requirements for councils to ensure their schemes actively reduce inequality and align with supportive collection practices, while LGR and changes to local government funding impact on scheme design.

Deven Ghelani (Director) and Rory Ewan (Senior Policy and Data Analyst) of Policy in Practice will discuss the impact of these policy changes and practical approaches based on our analysis of over 150 schemes. We will also be joined by Lindsay Sayer who will share her experience of CTRS redesign in South Norfolk and Broadland, and harmonisation across the districts.

This webinar will aim to provide Heads of Revenues and Benefits, Revenues Managers, Finance Directors and policy leads with the tools to navigate complex legislative changes and design data driven, resilient schemes.

By acting now, councils can turn these policy challenges into an opportunity to deliver fairer, more efficient support.

17/2/2026

10:30am GMT

1 hour

Unifying the tenant journey: Overcoming fragmented support from lettings to collections

25/3/2026

10:30am GMT

1 hour

How Waltham Forest delivered £2.3m savings through Council Tax Reduction Scheme modelling

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Driving cash first support: efficient multi-year HSF allocation using data segmentation in Tower Hamlets

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Bracknell Forest’s journey from tackling homelessness to benefit take up and arrears recovery using data

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From data to doorsteps: How Plymouth allocated discretionary support to families in 2025

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Policy in Practice helps councils allocate £18.5 million in Household Support Funds

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St Helens’ data driven approach achieves over £1.3 million impact across four teams

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Nationwide becomes first financial provider to offer free benefits support over the phone, in addition to online

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Targeted support, real impact: Neath Port Talbot’s year of action on child poverty

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“I turned on the heating for the first time” How City of York Council transformed lives in 2025

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Council Tax Reduction: Practical approaches to policy reform and supporting the most vulnerable

How Waltham Forest delivered £2.3m savings through Council Tax Reduction Scheme modelling

Driving cash first support: efficient multi-year HSF allocation using data segmentation in Tower Hamlets

Bracknell Forest’s journey from tackling homelessness to benefit take up and arrears recovery using data

From data to doorsteps: How Plymouth allocated discretionary support to families in 2025

Policy in Practice helps councils allocate £18.5 million in Household Support Funds

St Helens’ data driven approach achieves over £1.3 million impact across four teams

Nationwide becomes first financial provider to offer free benefits support over the phone, in addition to online

Targeted support, real impact: Neath Port Talbot’s year of action on child poverty

“I turned on the heating for the first time” How City of York Council transformed lives in 2025

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