Manchester Council and the end of life charity Marie Curie are working together to make sure people in the city who are living with a terminal illness become exempt from paying Council Tax.
Carried out as part of a larger plan to support the most vulnerable residents in Manchester, the Council has looked at as many ways as possible to help those who know have been struggling over recent years.
Marie Curie’s recent ‘Dying in Poverty’ report found that in Manchester around 42% of working age and 30% of pension age residents die in poverty.
Addressing this profoundly important issue is at the heart of the Council’s strategy, with a number of key changes being made in recent years directed at tackling the root causes of poverty, and ensuring that people do not slip back into it.
This new proposal sets out a plan for the council to change its Discretionary Council Tax Policy (DCTP) to explicitly include a commitment to support people who have been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
This form is completed by a clinician which confirms a person has a progressive disease, and consequently their patient is expected to pass away within a 12-month period.
Using DCTP the Council will make up the difference of any shortfall in CTS so that in any situation where a member of the household qualifies - whether an adult, child or non-dependant - the household will have nothing to pay. The support will then apply to the household’s council tax bill until the date of the persons death.
The Council will also be working to ensure that a “tell us once” protocol is in place so that, in the event of a claimant’s passing, no undue burden will fall upon their family. Steps will also be in place to retain the discount for the remainder of the financial year in the event of a person’s passing, to provide additional support for their family.
It is estimated that this scheme would support around 175 residents in Manchester, the majority of which would be of working age.
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