A NORTH-East authority has agreed to continue its scheme to help low income households in the face of ongoing austerity.

Durham County Council has approved a council tax support scheme for working age residents who would previously have received council tax benefit.

The authority agreed to extend the scheme, which was introduced after the Government abolished the national council tax benefit system in 2013, at a meeting yesterday.

Deputy leader Cllr Alan Napier said: “Despite the unprecedented cuts we face as a council we can continue to protect the 34,000 low income working age households who rely on the scheme to make ends meet and maintain a reasonable standard of living.

“This will be the fifth year we have been able to do it and fewer and fewer councils are able to provide such a generous scheme.

“We are only one of two in the region and a dwindling number across the whole country who give 100 per cent.

“These households deserve our support as long as we can give it. There may come a time when we can’t afford it as a council but I’m please we are not there yet.”

Cllr Jane Brown added: “Our most deprived communities are facing an onslaught of changes from our government which will slowly but surely impact on their quality of life.

“If and when the time comes the council does have to consider changing the policy there is increasing evidence from councils which indicated council tax arrears are going up and up.”

Opposition leader Cllr Amanda Hopgood said: “It’s morally the right thing to do.”

The council is obliged to protect pensioners who are entitled to the reduction, who make up around 43 per cent of claimants.

Across the county, around 60,000 people are entitled to the reduction, of which 34,000 are working age claimants.

Of these 8,000 people are employed but are still entitled to the reduction.

If the council reduced its scheme, it estimated it could increase its revenue from council tax from between £1.9 million and £5.064 million.

A report considered by councillors says there is anecdotal evidence that the scheme is having a positive impact.

Durham County Council has had to make cuts of £180 million since 2011 and is making a further £29.1 million of savings next year.

By 2020 the authority is expecting to have saved a further £64.1 million.