Haringey Council has increased its Council Tax Discretionary Hardship Fund by £66,000 to provide further support to residents facing significant financial difficulties and struggling to pay their council tax bills. The decision, approved by Councillor Seema Chandwani, Cabinet Member for Resident Services & Tackling Inequality, will provide one-off payments towards Council Tax bills for eligible residents.
The additional funding comes from a surplus identified within the budget originally allocated in May. Latest data on low-income households indicated that the council would have a £66,000 surplus, which has now been allocated to the Council Tax Discretionary Hardship Fund. This boost was made possible in part by the reinstatement of the Winter Fuel Payment for all pensioners, which allowed the council to add £244,000 back into the scheme, bringing the total allocation up to £544,000.
The Council Tax Discretionary Hardship Fund is for council taxpayers experiencing exceptional financial hardship and are therefore unable to pay some or all of their bill. The fund operates as an application-based scheme.
The Council Tax Discretionary Hardship Fund is delivered through Section 13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act and the corresponding Haringey Council Tax Discretionary Hardship fund policy.
Residents facing financial difficulties can also apply for support through the Haringey Support Fund, which is an application-based process for households most in need of extra support. Household Support Fund 202526