Council tax reduction support | 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

CTR schemes in 2027: The factors you need to consider

As we move into 2026, Council Tax Reduction (CTR) schemes remain a vital tool in supporting households experiencing poverty. Their design is one of the most powerful levers councils have to protect low income residents and mitigate financial hardship within their communities.

However, councils planning changes to schemes for 2027 will need to take account of the evolving policy landscape in 2026, which will present new challenges and opportunities.

Download our report ‘A path to better Council Tax Support schemes’ to understand the impact of CTR scheme design for 2027 and beyond
Join our free webinar on 17 February with guest speaker Lindsay Sayer ,who will share her experience of CTRS redesign in South Norfolk and Broadland, and harmonisation across the districts

Some of the new factors to consider include:

Removal of the two child limit (effective from April 2026)
Child Poverty Strategy
Supportive collection practices
The new Outcomes Framework for Local Government
Universal Credit Act 2025 (effective from April 2026)
Timms Review of disability benefits
A changing funding (and demand)landscape forlocal authorities
Local government reorganisation (LGR)

Download 'A path to better Council Tax Support schemes'

Register for an upcoming webinar

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

17 February

10:30 to 11:30

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

25 March

10:30 to 11:30

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

A path to better Council Tax Support schemes

CTR schemes in 2027: The factors you need to consider

Some of the new factors to consider include:

Download 'A path to better Council Tax Support schemes'

Register for an upcoming webinar

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

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

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Crisis and Resilience Fund