Thousands of the borough’s poorest households could be made exempt from paying council tax under plans put forward by the council.

Haringey’s cabinet will discuss proposals to exempt working-age benefit claimants with children from paying council tax at a meeting on Tuesday (August 14).

Councillors will also consider updating the borough’s council tax reduction scheme to bring it into line with national welfare changes, meaning most working-age claimants would be better off even if they did not have children.

Under the current system, working age claimants with children are only entitled to an 80 per cent reduction in council tax.

This policy has been in place since 2013, when the Conservative-Lib Dem coalition decided to scrap council tax benefit.

The council’s report says the coalition’s move “heaped a new hardship on many of the lowest income households in Haringey”, where 34 per cent of children live in poverty.

It adds that ensuring working age claimants with children do not pay council tax will provide extra support for over 6,000 low-income families in the borough.

But the report stops short of recommending scrapping council tax payments for all working-age claimants, as this would cost an extra £843,000.

At the cabinet meeting, councillors will vote on whether to approve a ten-week consultation on the proposals.

The consultation’s findings will then be considered at a full council meeting in January next year.

The cabinet meeting will be held at 6.30pm at Haringey Civic Centre on High Road.