Your council tax The year ahead - Manchester City Council

 
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Your council tax The year ahead - Manchester City Council
Your council tax
The year ahead

                   manchester.gov.uk
Front cover: We're working hard to deliver a £100million investment in our roads.

                                                                                                                       Since 2010, austerity has had a significant impact          Other priority areas for investment highlighted
                                                                                                                       on the Council’s finances, with year-on-year                by residents include the ongoing programme
                                                                                                                       funding reductions. Between 2010/11 and 2019/20,            that is seeing £100million spent on a five-year
                                                                                                                       the Council’s annual spending power – using the             highways improvement programme, including
                                                                                                                       Government’s own definition – has gone down by              pothole repairs.

                                                              Focusing on                                              £179million (almost a third) compared to a lower
                                                                                                                       national average reduction of 16 per cent.                  Although Government rule changes mean we could
                                                                                                                                                                                   put our element of council tax up by more, we are
    A message from Sir Richard Leese,
    Leader of Manchester City Council                         vital services                                           This equates to a £355 funding reduction per person
                                                                                                                       – the tenth-steepest reduction in the country.
                                                                                                                                                                                   keeping the increase to 3.49% (1.99% council tax and
                                                                                                                                                                                   1.5% Adult Social Care precept) in recognition of the
                                                                                                                                                                                   financial challenges faced by many of our residents,
                                                              This is the third year of a three-year                   When you factor in inflation, and particularly              the increased Mayoral and policing charges, and
                                                              budget, which the Council set back in 2017               rising demand for services – much of it the result          because we believe in keeping our promises. In
                                                              after a large-scale consultation to help us              of austerity and welfare changes that have hit              any case, hiking up council tax does not solve the
                                                              understand, and respond to, what matters                 people who were already struggling the hardest –            austerity problem – we already spend more each
                                                              most to Manchester people.                               we have had to make savings of £372million since            year on Adult Social Care alone than we raise
                                                                                                                       2010, including £15million this financial year.             in council tax.
                                                              Your council tax helps pay for the vital services that
                                                              keep this city going. These include looking after        More than half the Council’s budget is invested             Striking the right balance while continuing to
                                                              young and old, and providing the basic services that     in caring for our vulnerable adults and children,           invest in the future for the city and its people
                                                              every household benefits from: collecting the bins;      and we are making additional investments in                 remains hugely challenging.
                                                              running parks and libraries; and looking after roads,    strengthening these services – £13.6million in
                                                              pavements and street lighting.                           children’s services and £11.4million in adults’ services.   When we talk about setting a balanced budget,
                                                                                                                                                                                   we don’t just mean balancing the books. It also
                                                              You told us that the things you valued most were         We are committing £1.1million to help cushion the           means balancing the need to maintain vital
                                                              care and support for vulnerable people, helping          impact for those worst hit by Government welfare            services with the need to minimise the impacts
                                                              families in poverty, tackling homelessness,              policies, particularly Universal Credit.                    of any increase, and balancing the need to deliver
                                                              improving access to jobs and training, upgrading                                                                     services now with the need to invest in jobs, skills
                                                              our roads, ensuring that our neighbourhoods are          We are investing £4.6million extra funding in               and infrastructure for the future.
                                                              clean and well managed, and leisure investment           supporting our services to help prevent homelessness
                                                              to keep people active and happy.                         and provide accommodation and other support for             In all of this we have a long-term vision for the
                                                                                                                       those who find themselves without a home. This              sort of successful, inclusive, outward-facing city
                                                              We remain firmly focused on the priorities you have      includes additional enforcement in the private-rented       we want to be. That’s what your council tax is
                                                              set, but nine years of austerity mean we will need       sector to help keep people in their homes.                  contributing towards.
                                                              to dig into our reserves to fund this year’s budget,
                                                              something that is not sustainable in the long term.      We’re also pumping an extra £500,000 into tackling
                                                                                                                       fly-tipping and commercial waste problems – both
                                                                                                                       in cleaning it up and prosecuting those caught
                                                                                                                       carrying it out.                                            Sir Richard Leese
                                                                                                                                                                                   Leader of Manchester City Council

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Sticking to
                                                                                                                                                                         £13.6m
your priorities                                                                                                               £11.4m                                     extra to support young people

in 2019/20                                                                                                                     extra to meet growing
                                                                                                                               need for adult social care

The Council’s spending plans                          Libraries and leisure centres remain a focus
                                                      for investment:
for services in the year 2019/20
are based on the priorities that                      –– Moss Side’s £8.6million refurbishment
                                                                                                            Looking forward                                            Council tax
                                                         is complete.
thousands of Manchester people                                                                              As we move into the final year of our current              We won’t increase the council tax for Council
                                                      –– We start a brand-new library and leisure           budget we can reinforce your main priorities               services beyond the 3.49 per cent promised in our
have told us matter most to them
                                                         centre at Abraham Moss this year.                  thanks to the good progress we’ve made. So                 budget consultation. That’s just over £30 extra to
and their families.                                                                                         we’ll again put more than half of what we spend            pay this year for most residents (those in band A),
                                                      –– We had three million visits to libraries
                                                                                                            into services that support the most vulnerable.            leaving Manchester with one of the lowest council
                                                         and 624,000 to galleries in the year up to
We consulted widely to set our current three-                                                               In 2019/20 that means:                                     tax bills in the country.
                                                         September 2018.
year budget for 2017–20, so the vital services your
                                                                                                            –– Care and support for vulnerable people –
council tax will support this year include looking    –– 88,000 people now use our leisure discount                                                                    Budget challenges will continue into 2019/20
                                                                                                               an extra £11.4million to meet growing need
after older people, supporting those with learning       card, MCR Active.                                                                                             with the need for adult and children's social care
                                                                                                               for adult social care.
disabilities and mental-health needs, children’s                                                                                                                       continuing to rise. We’ll continue working to
social care, supporting the poorest families, and     We’ve also secured grants of £1.5million in 2019/20   –– Giving young people the best start in life with         deliver savings and manage budgets effectively
tackling homelessness.                                to get more of us into physical activity.                £13.6million extra investment in children's services.   so that we’re in the best position possible to stick
                                                                                                                                                                       to the priorities Manchester people have set,
                                                                                                            –– Taking action on family poverty – an additional
We’ve been able to make good progress during          Residents recycled more than ever in 2017/18,                                                                    working efficiently to ensure that council tax
                                                                                                               £1.1million to reduce the impact that Government
the past two years on the services that make our      reducing the cost of waste disposal. We’ll improve                                                               funds go further for our residents.
                                                                                                               welfare reforms like Universal Credit are having
neighbourhoods great places to live and improve       this further next year with easier, communal
                                                                                                               on residents’ lives.
our quality of life.                                  recycling for terraced homes and apartments.                                                                     Learn more about what we’ve delivered so far in
                                                                                                            –– Tackling homelessness – £4.6million extra               this three-year budget, and our full budget plans
We continue resurfacing roads in every                A litter taskforce, including young people,              to support homelessness services.                       for the year ahead at www.manchester.gov.
neighbourhood as part of a £100million five-          businesses and public services, helped Manchester                                                                uk/budget
                                                                                                            –– Tougher action and an extra £500,000 to
year programme that’s already seen 43 streets         do better than the national average in Keep Britain
                                                                                                               combat littering, fly-tipping and poor business-
resurfaced and a further 24 repaired this year.       Tidy’s litter and rubbish survey 2018. We’ll work
                                                                                                               waste management.
                                                      with them next year to make Manchester the UK’s
                                                      first ‘tidy city’.                                    –– The first stage of an extra £1.5million over
                                                                                                               three years to double our resources to tackle
                                                      Getting people into work and training also               antisocial behaviour.
                                                      came high on the list of what you value, so we’ll
                                                      continue our work to create good jobs and make
                                                      sure that Manchester people have the maximum
                                                      chance of getting them.

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How we work out your bill                                                                                                        How council tax is calculated                             Manchester City Council’s income 2019/20
                                                                                                                                 Most of the money we collect is spent on                  Total resources: £610.42million
The amount you have to pay                                                                                                       local council services. However, some of
                                                  1.5% of the rise in council tax for 2019/20 goes to                                                                                                                     Dividends and use of reserves:
depends on which of the eight                                                                                                    it pays for things that benefit the whole
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    12.2%
council tax bands your home                      help fund adult social care – see page 11 for details.                          of Greater Manchester, such as police
is in. A Government body called                                                                                                  and fire services, and getting rid of waste.                                                               £74.83million
                                                    Band          2019/20*             Value at 1 April 1991                                                                               Business rates:
the Valuation Office Agency                                                                                                      All councils in Greater Manchester make                   46.7%
                                                      A        £1,097.34          Up to £40,000                                                                                                                                         Council tax: 27.3%
decides which band your                                                                                                          a similar contribution. Your bill shows
property is in. Your bill tells                       B        £1,280.22
                                                                                         £56m
                                                                         £4m£40,001 – £52,000                                 £6mhow these costs are made
                                                                                                                                                           £11m
                                                                                                                                                              up.
                                                                                                                                                                                           £ 284.94million                                 £166.51million
                                                                           Libraries               Waste and                  Parks and                    Culture
you which band you’re in.                             C        £1,463.12          £52,001 – £68,000Street Cleaning            Open Spaces

                                                                                                                                 Example of breakdown for council tax band D:
                                                      D        £1,646.02          £68,001 – £88,000
You may have to pay the full
                                                               £2,011.81£18m
amount, or you may be able                £8m         E                     £88,001 – £120,000
                                                                                                         £23m                                £16m
to get money off (for example,
if you live on your own, people
                                                      F
                                          Neighbourhood
                                          Delivery Teams
                                                               £2,377.58Leisure £120,001 – £160,000
                                                                                                  Economic Regeneration
                                                                                                         and Employment
                                                                                                                                             +                 +
                                                                                                                                             Other Core services
                                                                                                                                             and Corporate Requirements
                                                                                                                                                                                   =                                                        Government
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            grants: 13.8%
                                                      G        £2,743.36          £160,001 – £320,000
in your household qualify for a                                                                                                                                                                                                             £84.14million
                                                                                                                                  Council         Mayoral Police    Mayoral General       Council
discount or exemption, or you                         H        £3,292.04          £320,001 and over                               services         and Crime       Precept (including   tax band D
are on a low income and qualify        £30m*This includes the Mayoral
                                                                  £12m                         £3m
                                                                       Police and Crime Commissioner Precept                   £219m              Commissioner
                                                                                                                                                    Precept
                                                                                                                                                                   £37m
                                                                                                                                                                     Fire Services)

for Council Tax Support).              Highways andand the Mayoral General Precept (including Fire Services).
                                                                       Revenue                         Planning and            Families, Health                    Transport
                                                                                                                                                                                        £1,646.02
                                       Street Lighting                 and Benefits                    Building Control        and£1,370.77
                                                                                                                                   Wellbeing         £198.30       Levy £76.95

Where the money goes
Manchester City Council’s spending 2019/20                                                    33.1%                                                        21%                                                       10.4%
Your council tax helps to fund local services, such as social care                            (£201.91million)                                             (£128.05million)                                          (£63.56million)
for vulnerable people; and support for children, young adults                                 Services for adults                                          Services for children                                     Waste and Recycling
and elderly people. It also pays for waste and recycling, schools,                                                                                                                                                   and Street Cleaning
libraries, leisure centres, street cleaning, parks and much more.

               9.9%                                              6.4%                                     5.9%                                       2.5%                                        2.3%                                  2.2%
                (£60.25million)                                  (£38.86million)                          (£35.94million)                            (£15.12million)                             (£13.73million)                       (£13.61million)
                Other spending, such                             Transport                                Corporate Core                              Highways and                               Economic                              Homelessness
                as interest repayments, staff
                                                                                                                                                      Street Lighting                            Regeneration
                pensions and emergency funds
                                                                                                                                                                                                 and Employment

                       1.8%                                      1.6%                                        1.1%                                     1.1%                                           0.4%                           0.3%
                       (£11.1million)                            (£10.11million)                             (£6.67million)                           (£6.7million)                                 (£2.69million)                  (£2.12million)
                       Neighbourhood                             Revenues and                               Libraries                                 Culture                                        Leisure                        Parks and
                       Management                                Benefits                                                                                                                                                           Open Spaces

                                                                                                                                 Note: figures and amounts are approximate due to rounding.

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Your council tax explained                              Unoccupied homes                                   Telling us about changes                           Certain types of homes are exempt even
                                                        Homes that are unoccupied and substantially        If your bill shows we have given you a discount    though they are occupied:
                                                        unfurnished are charged 100% of the council tax    or reduction, you must tell us within 21 days of
                                                                                                                                                              • Student halls of residence
                                                        for up to two years and 200% after two years.      any change of circumstances that affects your
                                                                                                                                                              • An annexe, if it is occupied by an elderly or
                                                        These include newly built homes from the date      discount or reduction. If you do not, you may
                                                                                                                                                                dependent relative
                                                        they are completed if they remain unoccupied       have to pay a penalty.
Council tax discounts                                                                                                                                         • Armed forces’ accommodation owned by the
                                                        and substantially unfurnished.
The full council tax bill is due when there are two                                                        Exempt homes                                         Ministry of Defence
or more adults living in a property. If only one        Homes that are empty and furnished will            There is no bill to pay while a home is left       • Visiting forces’ accommodation.
adult lives there, we will reduce the bill by 25%.      be charged 100% of the bill; this includes         unoccupied by:
                                                                                                                                                              Some properties are exempt because they
This is called a single-person discount.                second homes.                                      • People in prison (except for those in prison     are occupied only by people who are:
                                                        The Council no longer offers a discount when a       for non-payment of council tax or a fine)
You could get a 25% or 50% discount even when                                                                                                                 • Students
there are two or more adult residents, and an           property is undergoing major work, or for the      • Long-stay hospital patients or residents
                                                                                                                                                              • Under 18
exemption may apply in some cases – see                 first month an unfurnished property is empty.        in a care home or hostel
                                                                                                                                                              • Severely mentally impaired
Exempt homes section on page 9. We don’t                                                                   • People receiving or providing care
                                                        Annexes                                                                                               • Diplomats.
count the following people when we decide                                                                  • The householder, because they are away
                                                        There is a 50% discount for an annexe that is
on the number of adults living in a property:                                                                studying
                                                        either being used as part of the main residence                                                        For more information about claiming a discount,
• Full-time students and some student nurses            or occupied by relatives of the person who is      • Someone who has died but probate has not                   reduction or exemption, visit
• Apprentices and youth trainees                        responsible for council tax on the main property     been granted or no letters of administration          www.manchester.gov.uk/counciltax
                                                        (see Exempt homes section on page 9).                have been made (the property can remain
• Patients resident in hospital
                                                                                                             exempt for up to six months after the grant      Appealing against your council tax
• People who are being looked after in care homes       Armed forces
                                                                                                             has been made).                                  valuation band
                                                        You may be entitled to a reduction of 100% in
• People who are severely mentally impaired
                                                        your council tax if you have left your property    The following homes are also exempt:               You can appeal to have your home put into a lower
• People staying in certain hostels or night shelters                                                                                                         valuation band, but only in certain situations.
                                                        empty because you are a serving member of the      • An unoccupied home owned by a charity,
• 18 and 19-year-olds who are at school or college      armed services who is posted away from home          where the last occupation supported the          Making an appeal is free. Please beware of
  or who have just left school or college               in the course of your duties.                        charity’s objectives (this is exempt for up      companies offering to appeal the valuation band
• Care workers working for low pay (usually                                                                  to six months)                                   for you – they will usually charge you. Take care
                                                        Care leavers
  for charities)                                                                                           • A home that is unoccupied because the law        and, if necessary, seek further advice before
                                                        If you are aged 18–25 and have been in the care
• People caring for someone who is not a                of a local authority, you may be eligible for a      says it must not be occupied                     paying money or entering into a contract.
  partner or a child under 18                           discount of up to 100%.                            • An unoccupied home kept for ministers            If you want to appeal, or need more information,
• People aged 18 or over for whom Child Benefit                                                              of religion                                      email: ctnorth@voa.gsi.gov.uk
                                                        Reductions for disabled people
  is paid                                                                                                  • A caravan pitch or a houseboat mooring that      Telephone: 03000 501 501
                                                        You may be entitled to a reduction in your
• Foreign language assistants who are                   council tax if:                                      is not occupied by a caravan or boat
                                                                                                                                                              You can also write to:
  registered with the Central Bureau                    • You have a room (other than a bathroom,          • An unoccupied property that forms part of        The Valuation Office Agency
• The wife, husband or dependant of a student             kitchen or toilet) that is needed for a            another property, such as an annexe that         The Listings Officer
  who is not a British citizen and who cannot             disabled person                                    cannot be let separately.                        17th Floor
  take paid employment or claim benefits                • You have an extra bathroom or kitchen that                                                          Manchester One
                                                                                                           Homes that are left unoccupied are exempt if:
• Diplomats and senior officials of international         is needed for a disabled person                                                                     53 Portland Street
                                                                                                           • They have been repossessed by the mortgagee
  organisations and their husbands or wives             • There is enough floor space indoors to allow                                                        Manchester M1 3LD
                                                                                                           • They are the responsibility of a trustee in
• Members of visiting forces and certain                  a disabled person to use a wheelchair.             bankruptcy.                                      Website: www.voa.gov.uk
  international institutions
                                                                                                                                                              You must pay the council tax while you
• Members of religious communities
                                                                                                                                                              are waiting for a decision on your appeal.
• People in prison (except for those in prison for                                                                                                            If your appeal is successful, we will pay
  non-payment of council tax or a fine).                                                                                                                      back any overpayments.

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Council Tax Support changes                           Second Adult Rebate                                     How we use your information
                                                        Only pension-age people can get this. If you can’t
  from April 2019                                       get Council Tax Support based on your income,
                                                                                                                We are committed to protecting your privacy. Your personal information will only
                                                        you may still be able to get help with your council     be processed in accordance with the requirements of the General Data Protection
  In April 2019, Council Tax Support will change
                                                        tax if you are the only person liable to pay it and     Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
  for working-age people on Universal Credit
  who have a council tax bill and who should            you have another adult (or adults) on a low             We collect, process and store your personal information to allow us to work out and
  get Council Tax Support. The changes:                 income living in your home, not including your          collect council tax, to perform our legal duties, and for the prevention and detection
                                                        partner, joint tenant or joint owner. We work           of fraud. We may share your information with other Council departments or other
  — A
     claim for Council Tax Support will
                                                        out Second Adult Rebate based on the income             organisations, where it is necessary or appropriate to do so.
    be automatic as part of the claim for
                                                        of the other adults. Your income and savings
    Universal Credit                                                                                            Further information on how we use your personal information can be found in the
                                                        do not affect how we work it out.
  — I t will be simpler to reclaim Council                                                                     council tax service privacy notice at www.manchester.gov.uk/counciltaxprivacy
                                                        For more information and to make a claim, visit
     Tax Support after a short break in                                                                         We also offer an automated SMS messaging service to residents, to remind them
                                                        www.manchester.gov.uk/benefits
     Universal Credit                                                                                           that their council tax is due or to help administer benefit claims.
                                                        Benefit fraud
  — W
     e will only change the amount of Council
                                                        Every penny counts towards Manchester services.         If you wish to receive the automated SMS messages, or if you already receive the
    Tax Support you receive to help with your
                                                        Benefit cheats steal millions of pounds each year       SMS messages and wish to opt out, please contact us by email at
    bill if there is a significant change in your
                                                        – money that could be spent on other services.          ctax.enquiries@manchester.gov.uk
    Universal Credit payments.
                                                        The Council is committed to detecting and
  For more details of the changes, please go
                                                        preventing fraud and abuse. We will investigate
  to www.manchester.gov.uk/ctschanges
                                                        those dishonestly claiming Council Tax Support
  Visit www.manchester.gov.uk/uccts                     and other discounts or exemptions. Where                Statement concerning adult social care funding
  to claim.                                             appropriate, offenders will be prosecuted.              The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government has made an offer
                                                        If you suspect someone is committing council            to adult social care authorities. (Adult social care authorities are local authorities
Council Tax Support                                     tax fraud, you can report them in confidence:           that have functions under Part 1 of the Care Act 2014, namely county councils in
You can get money off your council tax bill if you or                                                           England, district councils for an area in England for which there is no county council,
                                                        Visit www.manchester.gov.uk/counciltaxfraud
your partner have to pay council tax and you are on     Email ctax.enquiries@manchester.gov.uk                  London borough councils, the Common Council of the City of London, and the
a low income. This is called Council Tax Support.                                                               Council of the Isles of Scilly.)
                                                        If you suspect someone is committing Housing
The amount of help depends on your income, the          Benefit fraud, you can report it in three ways:         The offer is the option of an adult social care authority being able to charge an
size of your family, the amount of council tax you                                                              additional ‘precept’ on its council tax for financial years from the financial year
have to pay, and whether you are pension age or         By telephone: Contact the National Benefit              beginning in 2016 without holding a referendum, to assist the authority in meeting
working age.                                            Fraud Hotline on 0800 854 440 Monday to                 expenditure on adult social care. Subject to the annual approval of the House of
                                                        Friday 8am–6pm. Calls are free and confidential.
Have your circumstances changed?                                                                                Commons, the Secretary of State intends to offer the option of charging this ‘precept’ at
If you are currently receiving Council Tax Support      Online: www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud                 an appropriate level in each financial year up to and including the financial year 2019/20.
and/or Housing Benefit and you have had a               By post: NBFH, Mail Handling Site A,
change of circumstances, please let us know.            Wolverhampton WV98 2BP
                                                                                                              Every year, some of your council tax bill goes     If you don’t have access to the internet, you
Visit www.manchester.gov.uk/benefitchanges
                                                                                                              towards funding both the police and fire           can contact Greater Manchester Combined
Do you qualify for Council Tax Support?                                                                       services. The Mayor of Greater Manchester is       Authority by writing to GMCA, 1st Floor,
Visit www.manchester.gov.uk/benefits to use               For information about claiming a                    responsible for setting these charges, as these    Churchgate House, 56 Oxford Street,
our online benefit claim and calculator to see if you                                                         services are his responsibility. An additional     Manchester M1 6EU or by calling
                                                          discount, reduction or exemption,
qualify for Council Tax Support and/or Housing                                                                charge is also applied to fund other mayoral       0161 778 7000.
Benefit (help with rent). If you qualify, you can         visit www.manchester.gov.uk/                        responsibilities. This is explained in detail at
claim online or contact the Benefits Service,             counciltax                                          www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk/
your housing association or library for help.                                                                 counciltax

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It’s easier if you switch!
         Sign up to Direct Debit
         www.manchester.gov.uk/counciltax

         Get your bill by email
         www.manchester.gov.uk/ebilling

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                                                  95210 – Manchester City Council 2019
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