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Council Tax Guide Page 1 Message from the Council Leader Council Tax is an essential part of the funding for the wide range of services Falkirk Council provides to local communities services like education, social care, roads and winter maintenance and waste collection. The current financial climate means that we have been faced with serious challenges in setting our budget for 2015/16, however we will continue to do our best for the communities we serve by investing in the right projects and working for growth all across the Council area while at the same time prioritising investment to support our young people, our families, and our elderly residents. All aspects of the Council s operations are being examined carefully to identify scope for savings, however the savings the Council has to make mean that some services may be delivered in a different way or stopped altogether. The Council has approved: a level D Council Tax of 1,070 for 2015/16, one of the lowest in mainland Scotland; its Revenue Budget of c 335 million; a weekly increase in Council House rents of 3.6%; a spending programme of 93 million through its capital programme; funding of 13m for Falkirk Community Trust. While our revenue budget is facing pressure, we will continue to invest in our assets and infrastructure through our capital programme. Investment plans for next year include 15m for a replacement for Carrongrange School, 2.4m on flood prevention for Grangemouth and 2.2m on cemetery expansion. Councillor Craig Martin, Leader of the Council Content 2 Who is responsible for paying Council Tax? 2 Changes in your circumstances 2 Help to pay your Council Tax 2 Council Tax Reduction 2 Council Tax Reduction - Second Adult 2 Discounts 3 Exemptions 3 Second homes and properties that have been empty for a long time 3 Help for disabled customers 3 Council Tax appeals 3 Private landlords 4 How we work out Council Tax 4 Council Tax,Water and Waste Water Charges 4 Appeals against Council Tax bands 4 Ways to pay your Council Tax 5 How we performed against our standards 5 Missed or late payments 6 How your money is spent 6 Council Budget 8 Privacy Notice 8 How you can help us tackle fraud 8 Investors in People 8 More information 8 Energy Efficiency 8 Comments/Complaints 9 Local Offices / One Stop Shops 9 Other useful contact numbers 9 Protect yourself from Council Tax scams 10 Falkirk Council Performance Information This booklet is an important part of your Council Tax bill, please keep it for future reference. The information is for guidance only and is not a full statement of the law. All information is correct at time of print: February 2015

Council Tax Guide Page 2 Who is responsible for paying Council Tax? The person highest on the list below is usually responsible for paying: The owner who lives in the property. The tenant who lives in the property. The sub-tenant who lives in the property. Someone else who lives in the property. The owner if nobody lives in the property. Couples who are married, living together as man and wife or civil partners are responsible, jointly and individually, for paying Council Tax even if their names are not on the bill. Joint owners or tenants are also responsible, jointly and individually, for paying Council Tax. Note: Jointly and individually means that the amount on the bill is not split into shares. We can choose to collect the full amount from anyone who is legally responsible for it. It is then up to the person who has to pay to get back a share from everyone else. Changes in your circumstances You must tell us about any change that may affect the amount of Council Tax you have to pay within 21 days of the change. An example would be where another adult moves into your home and you are receiving a Council Tax discount. Help to pay your Council Tax You may be entitled to help to pay your Council Tax depending on your household income and circumstances: Council Tax Reduction is help towards the Council Tax bill for your home or Second Adult Reduction is available if you have someone else living with you, not a partner, who is not responsible for paying Council Tax and is based on their income and circumstances. Council Tax Reduction Who can apply for help? The person(s) responsible for paying the Council Tax bill for your property. What information do we need? Details of the people living in your household. Details of all income, savings and state benefits you, your partner (if you have one) and any non dependants living with you, get. If you have over 16,000 in savings, you will not be entitled to help unless you receive the guaranteed part of Pension Credit. We ignore the first 6,000 of savings if you are under pension age. For every 250 you have over that amount, we count 1 per week as income. If you are of pension age, we ignore the first 10,000 of savings and we count 1 per week as income for every 500 over that. Council Tax Reduction - Second Adult If you have another adult living in your home who is on a low income and who is not your partner, you may receive help even if you do not qualify for main Council Tax Reduction. Any entitlement will be based on their income and circumstances not your own. This may be up to 25% of your Council Tax bill. If you claim Council Tax Reduction and Second Adult Reduction, we will pay the higher of the two available benefits. Your entitlement will normally start from the Monday following the date you either first contacted us to make an application, or the Monday following the date we first received your application, whichever is earlier. You cannot get help to pay your water and waste water charges. In most cases we are not able to backdate Council Tax Reduction. Therefore, it is very important that you do not delay in making your application. If you are not already getting help and wish to apply, please contact your local One Stop Shop. If you are awarded Council Tax Reduction / Second Adult Reduction, or are already in receipt of either, this will be shown on your bill. You must notify us immediately when there is a change in circumstances that will affect your entitlement to a reduction. Discounts You will get a discount on your Council Tax if you tell us that: there is only one person aged 18 or over living in the property; or nobody is living in the property. When deciding how many adults live in a property, we do not count certain people. The most common examples of people we do not count are as follows: full-time students, student nurses, apprentices; people who have severe mental health difficulties; 18 and 19 year olds who are at school, or who have just left school;

Council Tax Guide Page 3 care workers who are paid no more than 44 a week; or unpaid care workers who care for someone other than their partner, or a child aged under 18. Exemptions You may get an exemption from Council Tax if certain conditions exist, for example: if nobody is living in the property and there is no furniture. The exemption lasts up to six months from the date someone last lived in the property or the furniture was removed, whichever happens last; if everyone living in the property is a student; if the estate of a person who has died is liable for paying Council Tax. This can last for up to six months after the Grant of Confirmation (legal proof that a person has permission to manage the estate); or if the property is not being lived in because its structure is being repaired, improved or rebuilt. The exemption lasts up to twelve months from the date someone last lived in the property. Second homes and properties that have been empty for a long time If you have a second home, or a property that has been empty and unfurnished for more than 12 months, you will receive a 10% discount from your Council Tax charge. You will not get a 10% discount from your water and waste water charges. A second home is a home that is not a main home and is not unfurnished. Help for disabled customers You could pay less Council Tax if a disabled person lives in the property and needs: an extra room to meet their needs; or an extra bathroom to meet their needs; or to use a wheelchair in the home. If this is the case we will charge you the Council Tax for a band lower than your actual property band. How to apply for discounts, exemptions and help for disabled customers If you think you may qualify you can get an application form from a One Stop Shop, in person or by telephone, or download an application form at www.falkirk.gov.uk Council Tax appeals You can appeal against either: 1. The amount of Council Tax you have to pay because we have not awarded a discount or an exemption; or 2. Our decision that you are responsible for paying Council Tax; or 3. The amount of Council Tax Reduction we have calculated You must continue to pay your Council Tax until we have made a decision on your appeal. If your appeal is successful, any subsequent credit would be refunded (or offset against any other debt you owe Falkirk Council). If you want to appeal, please write to the Area Office Manager, Revenues & Benefits division at your local One Stop Shop within 2 months of the date of the decision. If you remain dissatisfied with their response, or you do not receive a response within 2 months, if your appeal is against reason 1 or 2, you have the right of appeal to the Valuation Appeal Committee (VAC) which is an independent body who will consider the facts and give a ruling as to whether or not our decision is correct. Your request to appeal to the VAC should be made to Falkirk Council within 4 months of the date of your original appeal. If you wish to request a review of your Council Tax Reduction, reason 3, your request for review should be made direct to the Council Tax Reduction Review Panel which is also an independent body. Note, you can only request a Further Review after Falkirk Council has carried out an internal review, unless we do not reply to you within 2 months of your request. Private landlords If you rent out property, either direct or through an agent, you are still responsible for providing us with information about the tenants who live in your properties. If someone else leases out your properties on your behalf, you must tell them to keep us up to date with any tenancy changes. To allow us to decide who is responsible for paying Council Tax, you must confirm the following details, in writing, as soon as possible after there has been a change to a tenancy: the address of the property (including the flat number); the names of all tenants who are moving out of the property; the date the lease ends; the tenants new addresses, if you know these; the names of all tenants who are moving into the property; the date the new lease starts; the previous addresses of all new tenants, if you have these details; and confirmation of whether the property is let as furnished or unfurnished. We may also need a copy of any lease. If we do, we will contact you. The owner will be responsible for Council Tax between tenancies.

Council Tax Guide Page 4 How we work out Council Tax The Assessor, who works for the Central Scotland Valuation Joint Board, values your home and puts it into one of 8 valuation bands from A to H. The value is based on how much your home would have been worth on the open market on 1st April 1991. Once we know how much money we need to raise from Council Tax, we work out what someone living in a home in Band D would have to pay. We then work out the rate for the other bands by using the multiplier set by the Scottish Government. Council Tax, Water and Waste Water Charges Your Council Tax bill includes charges for water and waste water services. Band A B C D E F G H Value of Property (at 1/4/91) Up to 27,000 27,001-35,000 35,001-45,000 45,001-58,000 58.001-80,000 80,001-106,000 106,001-212,000 Over 212,000 Council Tax Water & Waste Total 713.33 278.22 991.55 832.22 324.59 1,156.81 951.11 370.96 1,322.07 1,070.00 417.33 1,487.33 1,307.78 510.07 1,817.85 1,545.56 602.81 2,148.37 1,783.33 695.55 2,478.88 2,140.00 834.66 2,974.66 By law, we must send you a bill for, and collect, these charges on behalf of Scottish Water who is responsible for setting them separately. If you have any questions about the level of these charges, please phone Scottish Water on 0800 0778 778. There is a reduction scheme to help some people on low incomes pay these charges. The reduction (up to 25%) helps households with 2 or more adults, who receive Council Tax Reduction and do not receive a Council Tax discount. You do not need to apply for the reduction. We apply it automatically. If you qualify, it will be shown on your bill. Appeals against Council Tax bands If you became the taxpayer within the last 6 months, you can appeal against your Council Tax band to the Assessor. However, if you do so, you must continue to pay your Council Tax until the Assessor has made a decision on your appeal. Contact The Assessor for Central Scotland Laurelhill, Stirling FK8 2NA Tel: 01786 892200 If your appeal is successful, we will refund any overpaid Council Tax to you or, if you owe any other outstanding debt to Falkirk Council, transfer it to reduce that debt. Ways to pay your Council Tax Direct Debit This is the easiest way to pay. The advantages are: No more queues No forgetting to make payments No minimum sign up period Various payment date options Payments are covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee Help us save money by setting up a Direct Debit. You can do this by contacting your local One Stop Shop or online at www.falkirk.gov.uk The Direct Debit Guarantee This Guarantee is offered by all banks and building societies that accept instructions to pay direct debits. If there are any changes to the amount, date or frequency of your direct debit, Falkirk Council will notify you 5 working days in advance of your account being debited, or as otherwise agreed. If you request Falkirk Council to collect a payment, confirmation of the amount and date will be given to you at the time of the request. If an error is made in the payment of your direct debit by Falkirk Council, or your bank or building society, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund of the amount paid from your bank or building society. If you receive a refund you are not entitled to, you must pay it back when Falkirk Council asks you to. You can cancel a direct debit at any time by simply contacting your bank or building society. Written confirmation may be required. Please also notify us.

Council Tax Guide Page 5 Via the Internet at www.falkirk.gov.uk/pay You can use this facility 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. When making your payment, you will need to have your Council Tax account number. We will credit the payment to your account within 2 working days. Telephone If you want to make a debit / credit card payment, call 01324 508585 - Mon-Fri, 8am-9pm except public holidays. Please have your Council Tax account number ready when you call. We will credit the payment to your account the next working day. Post Make your cheque or postal order payable to Falkirk Council, Callendar Square, Falkirk FK1 1UJ. Please write your Council Tax account number and your name and address on the back. We will credit your payment to your account on the first working day after we receive it. One Stop Shop By cash, cheque, postal order or debit / credit card. Your payment will be credited to your account the next working day. If you lose your payment card, contact your local office and we will issue you with a replacement card within 10 working days. UK Post Office Every time you make a payment at a Post Office, we are charged for the transaction and it can take up to 3 working days to be credited to your account. Help us save money by paying at your local One Stop Shop instead. International Customers quote the following: IBAN GB32 CLYD 8263 1200 0010 82 BIC CLYDGB21312 How we performed against our standards Our 2014/15, statutory performance information will be available on the Council website. We have reported here on our 2013/14 performance. Standard Performance Cost of collecting Council Tax per household in 2013/14 9.39 % of Council Tax collected by 31/03/13 for Year 2013/14 (Scottish Avg. 95.2%) Target 96.0% 95.6% Missed or late payments We must receive your Council Tax payment on or before the payment date shown on your demand notice. If we don t, we will ask you to make the missed payment (known as arrears) within 7 days. If you do not do this, you will lose your right to pay by instalments after another 7 days. If not paid, the amount you owe for the rest of the year will then be due immediately and we will apply to the Sheriff Court for a summary warrant, which allows us to collect the tax you owe us. At this stage, we will add costs of 10% of the amount you owe. If you are finding it difficult to pay your bills, the earlier you contact us or an advice agency, the better. You should establish what you are able to pay, before making a formal agreement. We have professional debt advice officers who can provide free, confidential, impartial and independent advice and support on 01324 506735. The Citizens Advice Bureaux also provide free and independent advice on a wide range of subjects. If you do not pay, you may end up having: money taken from your wages; your bank account frozen, and the funds owed withdrawn from your account; or money taken from your Income Support, Jobseeker s Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance.

Council Tax Guide Page 6 How your money is spent The money we need to spend to provide services is set out in our yearly 'revenue budget'. This budget relates to all services except housing, which is funded entirely from money we receive from rent. Gross spending is total spending. Net spending is spending less fees and charges. Spending on our services The Scottish Government's assessment of the spending need for Falkirk Council is 4,271 for every house. The Council's proposed spending amounts to 4,507 per house. Council Budget 2015/16 Our budget has been set at 335m. The money comes from a number of sources, the most important of which is grants from Scottish Government. The chart below shows the various sources of the funding we will receive. After taking account of Scottish Government grants, National Non-Domestic Rates and other sources of funding, we raise the rest of the money we need from Council Tax, which will fund 15.72% of our spending. The Council Tax for a house valued at Band D will remain unchanged at 1,070 in the financial year 2015/16. For details of the Council Tax charge for the other valuation bands go to page 4. The table opposite shows how the 2015/16 Council Tax has been calculated and how the Council intends to finance its expenditure. The estimated net expenditure for each Service is also shown. The chart below shows where our main areas of spending will be during 2015/16. Total Net Expenditure per Service Sources of funding Government Grants 64.9 % Non-Domestic Rates 19.22% Council Tax 15.72% Reserves 0.12% Education Services 52.26% Social Work Services 27.65% Development Services 10.18% Corporate and Neighbourhood Services 3.79% Miscellaneous Services 3.34% Falkirk Community Trust 3.78% Valuation Joint Board 0.33% Capital Financed from Current Revenue 0.00% Adjustment for Capital Charges -1.33%

Council Tax Guide Page 7 Change from 2015/16 previous year '000 '000 % Total Gross Expenditure 367,290 5,805 1.61 Less: Fees and Charges 32,046 (71) (0.22) Total Net Expenditure 335,244 5,876 1.78 Net Expenditure Allocated by Service 2015/16 Net Expenditure 2015/16 Capital Charges 2015/16 Total Net Expenditure Change from previous year Effect on Band D Council Tax '000 '000 '000 '000 % Education Services 164,124 11,089 175,213 5,877 3.47 559.23 Social Work Services 92,276 422 92,698 2,983 3.32 295.86 Development Services 27,450 6,664 34,114 (808) (2.31) 108.88 Corporate and Neighbourhood Services 10,193 2,527 12,720 (2,389) (15.81) 40.60 Miscellaneous Services 11,162 30 11,192 629 5.95 35.72 Falkirk Community Trust 12,660-12,660 (501) (3.81) 40.41 Valuation Joint Board 1,119-1,119 (132) (10.55) 3.57 Capital Financed from Current Revenue - - - (500) (100.00) - Adjustment for Capital Charges (1) (4,472) (4,472) 717 (13.82) (14.27) TOTAL 318,984 16,260 335,244 5,876 1.78 1,070.00 1. Net difference between the cost of capital used by Services and the debt repayments on this capital. FINANCED BY: '000 Government Grants 217,689 Non-Domestic Rates 64,449 Reserves Used 400 Amount to be met by Council Tax 52,706 Yield of 1 Band D Council Tax 49.26 Band D Council Tax Present Year (2015/16) 1,070 Band D Council Tax Previous Year (2014/15) 1,070 Scottish Average Band D Council Tax 2014/15 1,149 (Notional Scottish Government figure excl. Water Charges) Local Authority Employees 2014/15 (restated) 2015/16 Change (Budgeted full-time equivalent) 6,439 6,343-96

Council Tax Guide Page 8 Privacy Notice This authority is under a duty to protect the public funds it administers, and to this end may use the information you have provided for the prevention and detection of fraud. It may also share this information with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds for these purposes. We may also use the information for other legitimate purposes such as the improvement of services. For further information, see www.falkirk.gov.uk How you can help us tackle fraud People who claim financial help that they are not entitled to cost you money. They reduce the amount of money or services that are available to help those in need. If you think someone is claiming Housing Benefit or any other Department for Working Pensions (DWP) benefit they are not entitled to please contact the National Fraud Hotline on 0800 854 440. Your call is free and confidential and you don't need to give your name or address. Lines are open Monday to Friday 08.00am to 6.00pm or report it online at www.gov.uk/report-benefit-fraud or by post to NBFH, PO Box 224, PRESTON, PR1 1GP. If you suspect someone is committing Tenancy Fraud or you know someone is claiming a council tax discount/exemption or Council Tax Reduction that they are not entitled to please email the Compliance & Verification team at benefit.fraud@falkirk.gov.uk, call 01324 501282 or post to the Compliance & Verification Team, Falkirk Council, 5 York Lane, Grangemouth. Investors in People Investors in People is one of the most widely used business improvement tools in the UK and beyond. The cornerstone of IIP is the IIP Standard which describes the 10 characteristics of an organisation that is effective at managing and developing its people. Finance Services successfully retained accreditation to IIP on 25th January 2012. More information If you would like this information in another language, braille, large print or audio tape please contact one of our Local Offices or One Stop Shops. Energy Efficiency Are you finding your energy bills high? Home Energy Scotland is here to help. Home Energy Scotland, funded by the Scottish Government, provides clear and impartial advice to help Scots make their homes cheaper to heat. For free impartial advice, call Home Energy Scotland free on 0808 808 2282. Comments/Complaints We aim to provide a high standard of customer service. If you have a comment or suggestion, please complete a comments form or comment at www.falkirk.gov.uk/contact-us If you are unhappy with the service we provide, please email revenues.complaints@falkirk.gov.uk, complete a complaints form, call 01324 503850 or visit www.falkirk.gov.uk/contact-us

Council Tax Guide Page 9 Local Offices / One Stop Shops Open 9am to 5pm Mon to Fri (except public holidays) Callendar Square, Falkirk Revenues and Benefits 01324 506999 revenues1@falkirk.gov.uk Customer First 01324 506965 Housing 01324 506868 256 Main Street, Camelon (Currently closed, check website for details) Revenues and Benefits 01324 506999 revenues1@falkirk.gov.uk Customer First 01324 504234 Housing 01324 503640 Dawson Centre, David's Loan, Falkirk Revenues and Benefits 01324 506999 revenues1@falkirk.gov.uk Customer First 01324 504234 Housing 01324 501450 Carronbank House, Carronbank Crescent, Denny Revenues and Benefits 01324 506999 revenues1@falkirk.gov.uk Customer First 01324 504234 Housing 01324 504050 5 York Lane, Grangemouth Revenues and Benefits 01324 506999 revenues1@falkirk.gov.uk Customer First 01324 504540 Housing 01324 504550 398 Main Street, Stenhousemuir Revenues and Benefits 01324 506999 revenues1@falkirk.gov.uk Customer First 01324 503338 Housing 01324 503340 18 Main Street, Bonnybridge Offers a payment facility and answers Council Tax, Rent and Benefit queries Revenues and Benefits 01324 506999 revenues1@falkirk.gov.uk 24a East Pier Street, Bo ness Revenues and Benefits 01506 778778 revenues1@falkirk.gov.uk Customer First 01506 778770 Housing 01506 778899 Private Sector Benefits Team 01324 506900 revenues.lha@falkirk.gov.uk Private sector benefits only deals with claims for Housing Benefit and Local Housing Allowance from tenants of private sector landlords. Debt Management (Council Tax & Rent arrears) 01324 506888 revenues.dr@falkirk.gov.uk Housing Benefit Overpayments 01324 506906 revenues.overpayments@falkirk.gov.uk Non-Domestic Rates 01324 506966 revenues9@falkirk.gov.uk Sundry Debtors 01324 506306 sundryaccounts@falkirk.gov.uk Other Useful Contact Numbers 24 Hour Help Lines Anti-Social Behaviour 0808 100 3161 Homeless 0800 587 4440 Council House Repairs 01324 590590 Emergencies 5.00pm - 9.00am Mon to Fri, weekends and public holidays All Council Services 01324 503050 Emergency Social Work Services 01786 470500 *For our hearing and speech impaired customers you can access our services via your text relay service by simply prefixing any number you dial with "18001". Further information is available at www.textrelay.org Protect Yourself from Council Tax Scams We have been alerted to a number of Council Tax scams that are in operation across the country where callers phone customers claiming to be from Falkirk Council to offer them a discount from their Council Tax and then ask for their bank details. There are also schemes asking for similar information that are sent by email and ask you to click on a link to obtain a refund that is due. We will never call you and ask you for your bank details, nor email you and ask if you want a credit balance refunded. If you do receive any calls / emails like this, please report it to us by: calling 01324 506070 or sending us an email to contact.centre@falkirk.gov.uk or contacting the Revenues and Benefits Division at your local One Stop Shop

Council Tax Guide Page 10 Falkirk Community Planning Partnership Public Performance Report 2013/14 Each year the Falkirk Community Planning Partnership publishes a monitoring statement which highlights both progress and performance towards the attainment of a number of local outcomes. The Community Planning Partnership includes a number of key local and national public sector partners, as well as Third Sector representatives. Collectively we are working towards the attainment of a 20 year vision through the delivery of a number of local outcomes. Of the indicators we use to measure progress and performance, nearly 50% met their target for 2013/14, 19% didn t meet their target and the remainder couldn t be measured against a target. Developing the Economy Developing and sustaining local economic growth, and providing quality employment opportunities, goes to the heart of improving the wealth and wellbeing of local people. Major investment, totalling 67m, is underway in the Grangemouth area, which is designed to attract further private sector investment, create up to 5,000 jobs, and improve local infrastructure. We continue to make particular efforts to improve school leaver outcomes into employment, further and higher education and training. In previous years our performance has been well below the Scottish average. During 2013/14 however, 90% of our school leavers experienced a positive destination on leaving school, which places us above the Scottish average for the first time since records began.

We place a strong emphasis on ensuring that our children experience the best possible start in life, so that they grow into young people who are both confident and successful. Our A-C pass rates for new qualifications within our secondary schools was above the Scottish average (81.1%) at 82.4%. Increased demand for nursery places has led to increased provision at Larbert Day Nursery, as well as the introduction of early years campuses at Bonnybridge, Kinneil and St Margaret s primary schools. We have been working hard to ensure that our services are compliant with the requirements of the Young People (Scotland) Bill, which is due to be enacted during 2015. Council Tax Guide Page 11 We place a strong emphasis on ensuring that our children experience the best possible start in life Safer Communities The Falkirk Council area continues to be a safe place in which to live. Incidences of anti-social behaviour decreased by a further 23% during the year. Serious crime has also reduced further during the year. We continue to give high priority to tackling domestic abuse, and can report that this has fallen by a further 353 incidents during the year. Colleagues within the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service report that whilst the 5 year trend for deliberate fires is on the decline and the trend for accidental dwelling fires is relatively static, there was a 22% increase in deliberate fires and a 24% increase in accidental dwelling fires in the reporting period. Protecting vulnerable people also features prominently in our priorities.

Council Tax Guide Page 12 Between 2012/13 and 2013/14 the number of referrals dealt with under adult protection procedures has risen by over 35%. Referrals can be made from a variety of agencies to support individuals to live safely at home and within their own communities. Health & Wellbeing Improving the health and wellbeing of local people remains high on the list of our priorities, particularly by encouraging people to make positive health choices, so that they can live longer. Approximately 2.3% of the local population had a targeted health assessment during the year. This is a preventative measure aimed at reducing the incidence of coronary heart disease. Falkirk Community Trust continued to increase the number of admissions to sport and leisure during 2013/14, through a further 3% increase. Mortality related to the misuse of alcohol, and waiting time to receive treatment for substance At the heart of what the Community Planning Partnership wants to achieve is a desire and focus to tackle inequality, poverty and its causes misuse remain significantly better than the respective national averages. The number of older people living longer will continue to increase in the coming years. This is an area which is also the subject of reform, through the integration of health and social care services. The aim is to support people to maintain healthy independent lives, and remain living within their local communities. There is ongoing work to develop responsive community based services. The local Falls Strategy aims to reduce the number of older people having falls. The Otago exercise programme, applied in partnership with the NHS and

residential care homes, alongside the Uninjured Faller Initiative run in collaboration with the Scottish Ambulance Service and the NHS, support people to remain at home and avoid unplanned hospital admission. Reablement is at the heart of service provision. This is provided through an integrated approach, involving professionals from across the partnership, volunteers, carers and service users. It includes a provision of 12 dedicated intermediate care beds provided in partnership with Falkirk Council and the NHS to support short term intensive support needs and avoid unplanned hospital admissions. Inequality & Poverty At the heart of what the Community Planning Partnership wants to achieve is a desire and focus to tackle inequality, poverty and its causes. Falkirk Council continues to provide funding from its Fairer Falkirk Fund to support services on welfare rights, related advice services and debt management. These services dealt with 1,157 new debt cases during 2013/14, and negotiated debt arrangements in excess of 31m. They also received 37,148 welfare benefit enquiries, including 7,164 new benefit clients. Services helped to secure 10.8m of gain for these clients. After a successful bid for lottery funding we have established a partnership based Benefit Support Unit which is providing a range of different services across different agencies in this area. We continue to provide support to improve access to services on financial inclusion, through funding allocation to different organisations, such as Falkirk & District Credit Union. We also continue to place a major emphasis on employability and getting local people into better paid secure employment. Council Tax Guide Page 13

DO IT TODAY 24 hours a day, 7 days a week by visiting our website at www.falkirk.gov.uk Apply for a Council Tax Reduction, discount or exemption www.falkirk.gov.uk/request Request help paying your council tax and or rent www.falkirk.gov.uk/request Report a change of address or change in circumstances. www.falkirk.gov.uk/report Pay a bill (CT, rent, MECS, home care charges, music tuition fees, nursery fees etc) www.falkirk.gov.uk/pay Search our frequently asked questions www.falkirk.gov.uk/find Find our facilities, offices and places www.falkirk.gov.uk/find Give us your suggestions, comments or complaints www.falkirk.gov.uk/contact-us