2,000 East Devon households get full council tax discount

Council hopes to extend scheme

Just over 2,000 properties in East Devon pay no council tax thanks to a scheme for working-age households on low incomes. 

The council tax reduction scheme helps residents struggling to pay, with discounts of 25, 55, 80 or 100 per cent based on people’s income and circumstances.  

As of October 2023, 4,516 working-age households in the district were receiving reductions, of which 2,004 were paying no council tax at all. 

The total number of claimants is down two per cent since April 2022, but the cost-of-living crisis is still plaguing the district with numbers still “much higher” than pre-pandemic levels, according to a report. 

This week East Devon District Council’s cabinet backed plans to extend the current scheme until the end of March next year. This will need to be ratified by councillors at a full meeting. 

Cllr Steve Gazzard (Lib Dem, Exmouth Withycombe Raleigh) said: “It's very gratifying to see that as a council, we are helping those that are most at need.  

“To be able to take 2,004 people out of paying council tax I think is a momentous thing.” 

Council tax varies between districts and smaller areas known as parishes. In the current financial year, tax for band D properties in Exmouth this financial year is just over £2,200, for example. The lion’s share goes to Devon County Council, with the rest shared among the police, fire service, parish and East Devon District Council. 

The council tax reduction scheme is costing £9.8 million this financial year, but since East Devon District Council only receives around seven per cent of the total council tax cash, it is only required to pay seven per cent of the cost of the scheme – that is, around £690,000.