Council tax benefit

Council tax benefit is a national scheme administered by the Local Authority to help people on low incomes pay their council tax bill on their home.

Who can claim?

• Anyone who is liable to pay council tax
• You must live in the UK
• You can claim council tax benefit even if you are working
• You can claim council tax benefit even if you are not getting any other benefits
• You can be in receipt of council tax benefit and still receive a council tax discount (for further information on discounts available, see our council tax pages)

Another type of council tax benefit is Alternative Maximum Council Tax Benefit (Second Adult Rebate). 

Council tax benefit will not be paid if:

• You have savings or capital of £16,000 or more. (Some pension credit guarantee credit claimants with capital over £16,000 may still apply)
• You are a full time student living alone (see our council tax pages for information of discounts available)
• Your property is exempt from council tax

How much will I get?

To work out your council tax benefit entitlement we will look at:

• Your weekly income, which is the money that you and your partner have coming in. This includes such things as earnings, any benefits you receive, tax credits, pension credits, private pensions and occupational pensions, maintenance and income protection plans
• Any savings and capital that you and your partner have
• Your circumstances, such as you and your partners age, any dependant children who live with you, whether you or any member of your family is disabled and whether there is anyone who lives with you who could help with the council tax

How is this calculated?

• If you are in receipt of Income Support, Job seekers Allowance (Income Based) or income based Employment and Support Allowance you are entitled to the maximum amount of benefit
• If you have anyone else living with you, excluding a joint owner, who is not dependant on you, your council tax benefit may be reduced depending on their income
• If you are not in receipt of Income Support or Job seekers Allowance (Income Based) we will work out how much your family needs to live on based on pre set government amounts, this is called your applicable amount
• The amount of benefit you will get will depend on how much your weekly income exceeds your applicable amount

How do I claim?

• To claim council tax benefit you will need to complete an application form and provide proof of your income and capital to support your claim
• Your claim will normally start on the Monday following the date your application form is received by the benefits office, although there are exceptions depending on the reasons why you could not claim earlier
• Please remember to answer all the questions on the application form and make sure that you sign the declaration on the form
• Application forms that are not signed or fully completed will be returned to you for completion, which could delay your claim
• Please remember to provide proof of all your income and capital so that your claim can be dealt with as quickly as possible

Please visit the following link to request an application form through the post.

Request an Application Form

or alternatively, download a form by visiting our Related Downloads, and choosing either the Council Tenant/Home Owner Application or Private Tenant Application.

Print the application form then complete and return it to the address on the left hand side of this page.

How is council tax benefit paid?

Any award of council tax benefit will be credited directly to your council tax account.

Last updated 04/04/2012