Council Tax Benefit
Help with your Council Tax
There are two different types of benefit
available for Council Tax payers. These are
Which benefit can I claim?
You cannot get both. If
you qualify for both you will be granted the benefit that
reduces your Council Tax bill the most.
Council Tax Benefit
You can claim Council Tax Benefit if you are
the person (or one of the persons) who is responsible for paying
the Council Tax for the property you live in and:
- You are getting Income Support/Jobseekers
Allowance (Income Based) or Guarantee element of Pension
Credit.
- If you get Income Support, Jobseekers
Allowance (Income Based) or Guarantee Credit element of Pension
Credit you will get the full amount of your eligible Council Tax as
benefit after any discounts or non-dependant deduction have been taken
off.
You cannot get Council Tax Benefit if:
- You are not directly liable to pay the Council Tax
- You (or your partner) have capital/savings of
over £16,000 unless this includes one or more of the special
payments made or you are in receipt of Pension Credit
Guarantee.
- Most full-time students who live alone cannot
claim because there home will be exempt from council tax. But
you maybe able to claim if your partner is a full time student and
you are not.
- Benefit is calculated by comparing your
household and personal circumstances with your income and
savings/capital. We also have to take into account any other
adults who live with you. If you wish to make a claim for
benefit please refer to the section on Applying for Housing Benefit/Council Tax
Benefit.
- If your Council Tax Benefit does not cover
your Council Tax Liability and you are in financial difficulty you
may be able to claim for a Discretionary Housing
Payment.
- To see if you might qualify for Council Tax
Benefit why not try our
Benefits Calculator.
If you do not agree with the decision that has
been made on your claim refer to the section on Disputes.