Eastwood and Kimberley: Council tax ‘flexibility’ for terminally ill Broxtowe residents

Broxtowe Council’s cabinet took the decision on March 10 to widen its council tax support offer for residents in the borough.

Currently, there is no statutory council tax exemption or relief that is provided to those living with a terminal illness.

Under the council’s plans, from April 1, 2026, households which are already in receipt of local council tax support – and are living with a terminally ill family member who has 12 months or less to live – could receive further council tax relief.

Speaking in the meeting, Phil Sudlow, assistant director for revenues, benefits and customer services at the council, said: “Our local council tax support scheme is already one of the most generous in the country.

“It would only be open to residents already receiving local council tax support – it would require clinician support.”

The move comes on the back of a Marie Curie report published in 2024 that found 111,000 people died in poverty in 2023 across Britain.

The charity recommended that local authorities review the support schemes they offer to residents on low income, including those living with a terminal illness.

Broxtowe’s council tax relief can reach 100 per cent in some cases.

Mr Sudlow said it forms part of ‘discretionary’ schemes councils are able to create, is currently estimated to cost between £10,000 and £15,000 a year, would be solely funded by the borough council and the decisions would be delegated to council officers.

Coun Gabrielle Bunn (Brox All), said: “Through being a well managed council, we’re in a situation where we’re able to do this and that should be noted and we should be proud of ourselves for doing that.

“This is a really difficult position for individuals to be in.

"Being able to take one of the pressures off people and give them that bit of flexibility so they can focus on the real priorities at this point is a good thing to be able to do as a council.”

Coun Milan Radulovic (Brox All), counci leader, said: “There’s an example here for Nottinghamshire County Council, the police and fire authorities to also offer a council tax support scheme for people who are terminally ill.

“At the moment the burden falls on Broxtowe, it’s only the Broxtowe element of our council tax we can support.”

Coun Philip Owen (Con) said it seemed ‘a little unfair’ the scheme would not include those with 12 months left to live who are not in receipt of council tax relief.

Mr Sudlow said: “It’s linked to the council tax support scheme on the basis this report has come from the Marie Curie research that’s been done and it’s people who have passed away whilst in poverty.

“So we’ve looked at those probably on the lowest income within our area and they’re most likely to be receiving council tax support – that’s why we’ve linked it together with council tax support at this moment in time.”

The officer added the authority will be assessing expanding the move to those not receiving council tax support but ‘without exposing the council to significant expenditure that’s unsustainable’.

The council ‘hopes’ it may be able to bring this in, in April 2027, for households ‘only just missing out’ on council tax relief.

He added: “The only problem we’ve got with that is we don’t have the information available to make that calculation.

“If we did look at it just on the basis of what NHS trusts have provided us with, is this scheme could cost us – just from providing any support to terminally ill residents – up to £1 million worth of expenditure each year.”

Coun Radulovic added ‘poverty is defined almost by a line – you’re either on benefit receipt or not’ and said the plans give the authority ‘a year’s time line’ to assess expanding the scheme out to those people on low income but do not receive benefits.

From April 1, decisions on eligible households will be taken on a case-by-case basis by an officer and will require confirmation from medical providers.