CARERS won't have to pay any council tax on their carer allowance as of next year, as heard in Wokingham's latest council meeting.

The amendment was passed after David Hare, Liberal Democrat councillor for Hawkedon, proposed the change on Thursday, January 23, to full council.

Currently, carers in the borough are paid an allowance of £66.15 a week, providing they care for a minimum of 35 hours, and £19.32 of that allowance is taken into consideration for council tax.

As of 2021 however, the full allowance that carers receive every week will be excluded in council tax calculations.

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Councillor Hare said: "We wanted to implement this amendment this year but we found that the cost of going to judicial review was prohibitive, and therefore we say well lets look at it to be implemented for next year.

"We want the whole of this carer's allowance to be disregarded, as we believe it's unfair that something meant to support those doing such a valuable and worthwhile job for the whole of society.

"It's unfair for something that should be a supportive sum to help people with very difficult situations, to call it an income - it's not an income, it's a support for people in very hard situations."

John Kaiser, councillor for Barkham Conservatives, said: "I am not always in favour of non-tested benefits, purely because if Richard Branson and his mum lived in the borough, he could apply as a carer for her.

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"I am happy to accept this amendment, but I'd like to discuss it further and understand what we're doing - however I'm quite comfortable to accept."

Andy Croy, Labour councillor for Bulmershe and Whitegates, said: "I am pleased to see this amendment as last year everyone seemed to ignore the carers' tax.

"This time it's at least on the face of the motion as it will go through, so thank you - but the scene as a whole is still not doing what we think it needs to do."

Labour councillors were the only members to oppose, due to a disagreement on how the council's tax reduction scheme is rolled-out.

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Prue Bray, Liberal Democrats councillor, said: "Carers save the council and the state an enormous amount of money - without them, I don't know how the social care system would cope."

Council Tax Reduction Scheme recommendations for 2020/21 for the borough's most vulnerable people were agreed by the council to be adopted.

The scheme was approved on the same basis as the 2019/2020 scheme.

It was also agreed full disregard currently allowed for War Widows and War Disability pensions is continued from 1 April 2020 in respect of the Prescribed and Local Council Tax Reduction scheme and Housing Benefit schemes, and finally that funds be made available to the hardship fund for those who cannot pay their council tax liabilities.