Motion 1
The council notes the obligations it owes to the Armed Forces community within
Gedling Borough as enshrined in the Armed Forces Covenant; that the Armed Forces community should not face disadvantage in the provision of services and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given the most. Gedling Borough Council along with all other local authorities in Great Britain, has proudly signed the Armed Forces Covenant.
That in the course of their service in His Majesty’s Armed Forces, some members of the Armed Forces Community, by virtue of the often dangerous and risky nature of their work, or environments in which they are required to operate, become wounded, injured, or sick in such a way that affects their life in a permanent or significant way.
That a number of military compensation schemes exist to recognise and compensate
Service Personnel and sometimes their families, for the hardship, inconvenience or
ongoing impact conditions such as PTSD, limb loss, hearing loss etc. Military compensation can be awarded through the War Pension Scheme (WPS), Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) or through a veteran’s occupational Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS), known as Service Invaliding Pensions (SIPs) or Service Attributable Pensions (SAPs). Compensation awards under these schemes may also include supplementary payments. This compensation often interacts with benefits issued through Local Authorities and may impact a veteran’s entitlement to such benefits.
That whilst some benefits such as Universal Credit rightly disregard military
compensation as income, others administered by or subject to the discretion of Local
Authorities, do not always do so, meaning that some veterans must give up their compensation in order to access essential financial support.
A 2022 Freedom of Information request by the Royal British Legion showed that only
one in five (19%) of Local Authorities in Great Britain rightly disregarded all military
compensation when assessing local benefits claims for Housing Benefit, Council Tax
Support, Discretionary Housing Payments and Disabled Facilities Grants.
In light of the above, this council resolves;
1. That no member of the Armed Forces Community should be forced to give up their military compensation to access the same welfare support as their civilian counterparts.
2. To support the Royal British Legion’s call for all forms of military compensation to be disregarded as income in the assessment and administration of locally administered benefits over which this council exercises discretion; Council Tax Reductions, Housing benefit, discretionary housing payments and Disabled Facilities grants.
3. To ask the executive to review relevant local policies, to reflect such a position and report back to an appropriate meeting of this Council.
Proposer: Cllr Mike Adams
Seconder: Cllr Boyd Elliott
Motion 2
This Council resolves to review the approach to Strategic and Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy allocation, to ensure it is expended effectively in local communities where development has or will take place and in consultation with those local communities and ward members.
Proposer: Cllr Sam Smith
Seconder: Cllr Mike Adams
Minutes:
Motion 1
Councillor Adams, seconded by Councillor Elliot, proposed a motion in the following terms:
The council notes the obligations it owes to the Armed Forces community within Gedling Borough as enshrined in the Armed Forces Covenant; that the Armed Forces community should not face disadvantage in the provision of services and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given the most. Gedling Borough Council along with all other local authorities in Great Britain, has proudly signed the Armed Forces Covenant.
That in the course of their service in His Majesty’s Armed Forces, some members of the Armed Forces Community, by virtue of the often dangerous and risky nature of their work, or environments in which they are required to operate, become wounded, injured, or sick in such a way that affects their life in a permanent or significant way.
That a number of military compensation schemes exist to recognise and compensate Service Personnel and sometimes their families, for the hardship, inconvenience or ongoing impact conditions such as PTSD, limb loss, hearing loss etc. Military compensation can be awarded through the War Pension Scheme (WPS), Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) or through a veteran’s occupational Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS), known as Service Invaliding Pensions (SIPs) or Service Attributable Pensions (SAPs). Compensation awards under these schemes may also include supplementary payments. This compensation often interacts with benefits issued through Local Authorities and may impact a veteran’s entitlement to such benefits.
That whilst some benefits such as Universal Credit rightly disregard military compensation as income, others administered by or subject to the discretion of Local Authorities, do not always do so, meaning that some veterans must give up their compensation in order to access essential financial support.
A 2022 Freedom of Information request by the Royal British Legion showed that only
one in five (19%) of Local Authorities in Great Britain rightly disregarded all military compensation when assessing local benefits claims for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, Discretionary Housing Payments and Disabled Facilities Grants.
In light of the above, this council resolves:
1. That no member of the Armed Forces Community should be forced to give up their military compensation to access the same welfare support as their civilian counterparts.
2. To support the Royal British Legion’s call for all forms of military compensation to be disregarded as income in the assessment and administration of locally administered benefits over which this council exercises discretion; Council Tax Reductions, Housing benefit, discretionary housing payments and Disabled Facilities grants.
3. To ask the executive to review relevant local policies, to reflect such a position and report back to an appropriate meeting of this Council.
Proposer: Councillor Mike Adams
Seconder: Councillor Boyd Elliott
An amended motion was proposed and seconded by Councillor Payne and Clarke, in the following terms:
The council notes the obligations it owes to the Armed Forces community within Gedling Borough as enshrined in the Armed Forces Covenant; that the Armed Forces community should not face disadvantage in the provision of services and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given the most. Gedling Borough Council along with all other local authorities in Great Britain, has proudly signed the Armed Forces Covenant.
That in the course of their service in His Majesty’s Armed Forces, some members of the Armed Forces Community, by virtue of the often dangerous and risky nature of their work, or environments in which they are required to operate, become wounded, injured, or sick in such a way that affects their life in a permanent or significant way.
That a number of military compensation schemes exist to recognise and compensate Service Personnel and sometimes their families, for the hardship, inconvenience or ongoing impact conditions such as PTSD, limb loss, hearing loss etc. Military compensation can be awarded through the War Pension Scheme (WPS), Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) or through a veteran’s occupational Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS), known as Service Invaliding Pensions (SIPs) or Service Attributable Pensions (SAPs). Compensation awards under these schemes may also include supplementary payments. This compensation often interacts with benefits issued through Local Authorities and may impact a veteran’s entitlement to such benefits.
That whilst some benefits such as Universal Credit rightly disregard military compensation as income, others administered by or subject to the discretion of Local Authorities, do not always do so, meaning that some veterans must give up their compensation in order to access essential financial support.
A 2022 Freedom of Information request by the Royal British Legion showed that only
one in five (19%) of Local Authorities in Great Britain rightly disregarded all military compensation when assessing local benefits claims for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, Discretionary Housing Payments and Disabled Facilities Grants.
In light of the above, this council has at its meeting on 17 April 2024, resolved;
1. That no member of the Armed Forces Community should be forced to give up their military compensation to access the same welfare support (Housing Benefit and Discretionary Housing Payments) as their civilian counterparts; and
2. To support the Royal British Legion’s call for all forms of military compensation to be disregarded as income in the assessment and administration of locally administered benefits over which this council exercises discretion; (Council Tax Reductions), Housing Benefit, and by extension Discretionary Housing Payments;
And this council resolves:
3. To write to the Secretary of State for Defence and shadow secretary requesting that it be made a national statutory requirement that all forms of military compensation are disregarded as income in the assessment and administration of locally administered benefits over which a council exercises discretion, namely Council Tax Reductions, Housing Benefit, Discretionary Housing Payments and Disabled Facilities Grants; and that this new statutory requirement on local government be fully funded by central government.
4. To ask the executive to consider:
implementation of a ‘Discretionary armed forces personnel, veterans and immediate family grant”, with benefits which would include:
· To be fast tracked to deal with as a priority
· To disregard the Armed Forces pension in the means test
· To disregard Armed Forces Compensation Scheme – Guaranteed Income Payment in means test
· To disregard War Widow pension in means test;
and consider an update to relevant local policies, to reflect such a position
and report back to an appropriate meeting of this Council on the effectiveness of the schemes.
Proposer: Councillor Michael Payne
Seconder: Councillor Jenny Hollingsworth
An adjournment was proposed, seconded, and agreed to allow members time to review the amendment. Upon return, the proposer and seconder of the original motion indicated their support and acceptance of the amendment. As such, it was deemed to be the substantive motion.
Upon being put to a vote, the motion was carried unanimously.
RESOLVED that:
The council notes the obligations it owes to the Armed Forces community within Gedling Borough as enshrined in the Armed Forces Covenant; that the Armed Forces community should not face disadvantage in the provision of services and that special consideration is appropriate in some cases, especially for those who have given the most. Gedling Borough Council along with all other local authorities in Great Britain, has proudly signed the Armed Forces Covenant.
That in the course of their service in His Majesty’s Armed Forces, some members of the Armed Forces Community, by virtue of the often dangerous and risky nature of their work, or environments in which they are required to operate, become wounded, injured, or sick in such a way that affects their life in a permanent or significant way.
That a number of military compensation schemes exist to recognise and compensate Service Personnel and sometimes their families, for the hardship, inconvenience or ongoing impact conditions such as PTSD, limb loss, hearing loss etc. Military compensation can be awarded through the War Pension Scheme (WPS), Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) or through a veteran’s occupational Armed Forces Pension Scheme (AFPS), known as Service Invaliding Pensions (SIPs) or Service Attributable Pensions (SAPs). Compensation awards under these schemes may also include supplementary payments. This compensation often interacts with benefits issued through Local Authorities and may impact a veteran’s entitlement to such benefits.
That whilst some benefits such as Universal Credit rightly disregard military compensation as income, others administered by or subject to the discretion of Local Authorities, do not always do so, meaning that some veterans must give up their compensation in order to access essential financial support.
A 2022 Freedom of Information request by the Royal British Legion showed that only
one in five (19%) of Local Authorities in Great Britain rightly disregarded all military compensation when assessing local benefits claims for Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, Discretionary Housing Payments and Disabled Facilities Grants.
In light of the above, this council has at its meeting on 17 April 2024, resolved;
1. That no member of the Armed Forces Community should be forced to give up their military compensation to access the same welfare support (Housing Benefit and Discretionary Housing Payments) as their civilian counterparts; and
2. To support the Royal British Legion’s call for all forms of military compensation to be disregarded as income in the assessment and administration of locally administered benefits over which this council exercises discretion; (Council Tax Reductions), Housing Benefit, and by extension Discretionary Housing Payments;
And this council resolves:
3. To write to the Secretary of State for Defence and shadow secretary requesting that it be made a national statutory requirement that all forms of military compensation are disregarded as income in the assessment and administration of locally administered benefits over which a council exercises discretion, namely Council Tax Reductions, Housing Benefit, Discretionary Housing Payments and Disabled Facilities Grants; and that this new statutory requirement on local government be fully funded by central government.
4. To ask the executive to consider:
implementation of a ‘Discretionary armed forces personnel, veterans and immediate family grant”, with benefits which would include:
· To be fast tracked to deal with as a priority
· To disregard the Armed Forces pension in the means test
· To disregard Armed Forces Compensation Scheme – Guaranteed Income Payment in means test
· To disregard War Widow pension in means test;
and consider an update to relevant local policies, to reflect such a position
and report back to an appropriate meeting of this Council on the effectiveness of the schemes
Proposer: Councillor Mike Adams
Seconder: Councillor Boyd Elliott
Motion 2
Councillor Sam Smith, seconded by Councillor Adams, proposed a motion in the following terms:
This Council resolves to review the approach to Strategic and Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy allocation, to ensure it is expended effectively in local communities where development has or will take place and in consultation with those local communities and ward members.
Proposer: Councillor Sam Smith
Seconder: Councillor Mike Adams
An amended motion was proposed and seconded by Councillors Hollingsworth and Payne, in the following terms:
This Council notes that national Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) regulations, determined by central government dictate that where a Neighbourhood Plan is in place in a parished area, the Parish Council receives 25% of the total CIL receipt collected in the parish and where there is no Neighbourhood Plan, the Parish Council receives 15%.
This Council notes that central government's updated Infrastructure Levy regulations, which have recently been consulted on, may change the overall approach to Community Infrastructure Levy.
This Councl resolves to undertake a full review of the approach to Strategic and Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy allocation following introduction of the updated regulations, to ensure it is expended effectively in local communities where development has or will take place and in consultation with those local communities and ward members and within the next year will commence a review of the current 123 infrastructure funding list and consult with communities and Councillors on appropriate infrastructure projects.
Proposer: Councillor Jenny Hollingsworth
Seconder: Councillor Michael Payne
The proposer and seconder of the original motion indicated their support and acceptance of the amendment. As such, it was deemed to be the substantive motion.
Upon being put to a vote, the motion was carried unanimously.
RESOLVED that:
This Council notes that national Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) regulations, determined by central government dictate that where a Neighbourhood Plan is in place in a parished area, the Parish Council receives 25% of the total CIL receipt collected in the parish and where there is no Neighbourhood Plan, the Parish Council receives 15%.
This Council notes that central government's updated Infrastructure Levy regulations, which have recently been consulted on, may change the overall approach to Community Infrastructure Levy.
This Councl resolves to undertake a full review of the approach to Strategic and Neighbourhood Community Infrastructure Levy allocation following introduction of the updated regulations, to ensure it is expended effectively in local communities where development has or will take place and in consultation with those local communities and ward members and within the next year will commence a review of the current 123 infrastructure funding list and consult with communities and Councillors on appropriate infrastructure projects.
Proposer: Councillor Sam Smith
Seconder: Councillor Mike Adams