Leeds residents are being asked to help make some difficult decisions over cuts to council tax benefits.
The Government is axing the rebate from April and Leeds City Council will be responsible for devising a replacement scheme to support the city’s lowest earners.
It will receive £6 million less from the government to do so.
Now the local authority wants to hear your views on whether it should slash council tax support to working age recipients by 30 per cent or 10 per cent.
The more it protects benefit receivers, the more money will have to be taken away from other council-funded services, it says.
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Pensioners are exempt from the changes and will continue to receive the same amount of financial support.
Councillor Keith Wakefield, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “We have some really difficult decisions to make as these changes will affect some of the most vulnerable people in our city, and will leave us with even less money to support them.
“We already have massive savings to make, so this will put even more strain on the money we need to spend on essential services.
“We need to know what people in Leeds think about the choices we have to make, so we can make the best decision.”
Option one being considered by the council is to cut council tax support to working age recipients by around 30 per cent. This would cover the £6 million shortfall.
Option two would see support slashed by 10 per cent in the first 12 months. In this scenario the council would have to take money away from other services.
Surveys are in the process of being posted out to people of working age to gain feedback.
It will also ask residents what they think about charging council tax on empty properties and second homes. As part of government changes, councils have been given extra decision-making powers to say if they want to start charging council tax on empty properties.
Currently owners of properties which are empty for a short time are not charged council tax for up to six or 12 months.
Leeds City Council is already having to save £40 million across all services due to reduced government funding.
The deadline to reply to the council tax consultation is November 8.
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