Step forward for plans to cut council tax bills for thousands of homes 'most in need'
Plans to overhaul Fareham Borough Council’s Council Tax Support scheme have been backed by the council’s executive, with a new income-banded model set to be introduced from April 2026.
Under the proposals, support would be determined by the income band a household falls into rather than their exact income.
The move is intended to simplify the system, reduce administrative burden, and make it easier for residents to understand and access support.
The new scheme would introduce five discount bands: 100 per cent, 75 per cent, 50 per cent, 25 per cent, and no support.
These bands would apply across a range of household types, including single adults, couples, single parents with one child, couples with one child, and households with two or more children.
In addition, maximum support for the lowest-income working-age households would increase from 80 per cent to 100 per cent, bringing it into line with the level of support available to pension-age residents.
The current CTS scheme was introduced in 2013 and has never been formally reviewed.
While pension-age applicants receive support under rules set by central government, allowing eligible pensioners to receive up to 100 per cent support, the scheme for working-age residents is set entirely by the local authority.
Speaking at the executive meeting on February 2, council leader Cllr Simon Martin said: “The scheme allows us to reduce the council tax bill for low-income households based on their income.
“What we are proposing is a banded scheme which would reduce the administrative burden of running the system.
“We have proposed a scheme which provides effective support to those who are most financially challenged, while simplifying administration.”
Supporting the proposal, Cllr Fred Birkett said: “This is a very sensible thing to do and it helps look after those most in need in the borough.
“It addresses many of the issues that people find confusing or which stop them from claiming support.
“At the end of the day, we want people to get help when they need it, especially given the financial pressures many households are facing at the moment.”
Council Tax Support reduces council tax bills for low-income households based on their income.
In 2025/26, Fareham Borough Council awarded £4.5 million in CTS, with £2.3 million of that supporting working-age claimants.
There are currently 3,660 households in receipt of Council Tax Support in the borough, of which 1,965 are working-age claimants.
If approved by full council on February 20, the new scheme will come into effect on April 1, 2026.