Council tax support 'will help 400 families'

Struggling families in the borough of Boston will not have to pay anything towards their council tax from April.

Currently, low or no income households with children receive support for 75% of their annual bill.

However, Boston Borough Council said councillors had voted unanimously to increase its council tax support to 100% in order to "ease the financial burden" on families.

About one in three children in the borough live in low-income households, the authority said.

According to the council, 1,109 households with children receive council tax support, of which 727 receive the maximum award.

Council leader Anne Dorrian said: "It is hoped that by introducing this new measure, we will help to lift approximately 400 families out of poverty.

"Parents living in this borough are making difficult choices between feeding their family and paying bills they simply cannot afford."

The council said they will be one of the few authorities which offer full council tax support to low and no income families.

Councillors also voted to increase the maximum amount of council tax support for all other households from 75% to 85%.

Council tax pays towards the cost of a range of services such as social care, the police, bin collections, road repairs and libraries.

Boston Borough Council collects the council tax, but the amount is set each year by Lincolnshire County Council.

A final budget recommendation to the council for 2025/26 will be considered at a meeting on 21 February.

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