It is a support scheme, to help people who are liable to pay Council Tax, meet the cost of their Council Tax bill.
To claim help with your Council Tax, you must complete a Council Tax Reduction claim form, from our website.
If you or your partner are receiving Universal Credit this will not include Council Tax Reduction and you will need to make a claim.
If you have a partner, they do not need to complete a separate form.
Any Council Tax Reduction will be paid directly into your Council Tax account, and you will receive a reduced bill.
For pensioners, if you have savings or capital over £16,000 you will not be entitled to Council Tax Reduction unless you receive Guaranteed Pension Credit.
If you and your partner are of working age and have savings or capital over £6,000 you will not be entitled to Council Tax Reduction.
Council Tax Reduction can be awarded for up to 82.5% of your Council Tax bill less:
We take your weekly income (and your partners income if you have one) after any disregards have been applied, then we apply a percentage reduction to your Council Tax charge.
The table below shows the income levels and household composition applied for different percentage reductions within Bands 1 to 5.
These income levels within the table may increase annually.
| Weekly Net Income | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discount | Single | Single with 1 dependant | Single with 2+ dependants | Couple | Couple with 1 dependant | Couple with 2+ dependants |
| Band 1 82.5% |
£0.00 to £125.00 | £0.00 to £175.00 | £0.00 to £225.00 | £0.00 to £175.00 | £0.00 to £225.00 | £0.00 to £275.00 |
| Band 2 75% |
£125.01 to £175.00 | £175.01 to £225.00 | £225.01 to £275.00 | £175.01 to £225.00 | £225.01 to £275.00 | £275.01 to £325.00 |
| Band 3 50% |
£175.01 to £225.00 | £255.01 to £275.00 | £275.01 to £325.00 | £225.01 to £275.00 | £275.01 to £325.00 | £325.01 to £375.00 |
| Band 4 25% |
£225.01 to £275.00 | £275.01 to £325.00 | £325.01 to £375.00 | £275.01 to £325.00 | £325.01 to £375.00 | £375.01 to £425.00 |
| Band 5 0% |
£275.01 or more | £325.01 or more | £375.01 or more | £325.01 or more | £375.01 or more | £425.01 or more |
If you are in receipt of Income Support, Job Seeker's Allowance (Income Based) or Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related), discount will be awarded as shown in Band 1 - Unless Capital is more than £6,000 then no Council Tax Reduction will be awarded.
When we calculate your weekly income to work out your band, we will not take into account the following:
If you are receiving Universal Credit, we will not take into account following elements of your Universal Credit award:
If you are in work we will exclude £50 from your weekly household earned income before we work out how much reduction you will get.
If a member of your household is disabled and in receipt of certain disability benefits, we will exclude a further £50 per week from your total weekly income.
A deduction of £5.00 will be made for other people aged 18 or over who live with you.
No deduction will be made if you or your partner are registered blind or are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance, the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment or an Armed Forces Independence Payment, or if the non dep is ignored for Council Tax purposes.
If you qualify for Council Tax Reduction, we will normally pay your benefit from the Monday following the day we receive your completed claim form.
We may be able to backdate your benefit before the date your claim is received, as long as you were entitled to benefit for that period. You will need to request a backdate when you make your application.
For us to work out how much benefit you will be entitled to, you need to give us proof of your income and savings for the period you want to claim.
Council Tax Reduction can be awarded for up 100% of your Council Tax bill for people who have reached pensionable age less:
If you are in receipt of Pension Credit with Guaranteed Element you will normally get maximum Council Tax Reduction which is 100% of your Council Tax bill less any deductions for non-dependants.
If you are working or receive any other type of benefit, the amount of Council Tax Reduction you get will be based on your income and capital and if you have a partner, their income and capital will also be taken into account.
Your reduction is worked out by comparing your total net weekly income with your applicable amount. This is the allowance set by the government to take account of your individual or family’s needs.
If your income is less than or the same as your applicable amount you will get the full amount of Council Tax Reduction which is 100% of your Council Tax bill less any non-dependant deductions. If your income is more than your applicable amount, then your Council Tax Reduction will be reduced by 20p for each £1.00 that your income is over your applicable amount and by any non-dependant deductions.
| £577 per week or more | £15.35 |
| Between £463 and £577 per week | £12.80 |
| Between £266 and £463 per week | £10.20 |
| Under £266 | £5.00 |
| Non-Dep on ESA(C)/JSA(C) or any other income | £5.00 |
There is no deduction taken for non-dependants who are getting Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance, income related Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit without earnings or Pension Credits.
No deduction will be made if you or your partner are registered blind, or are in receipt of Disability Living Allowance, the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment or an Armed Forces Independence Payment.
If you qualify for Council Tax Reduction, we will normally pay your benefit from the Monday following the day we receive your completed claim form.
People who have reached pension age may have their claim treated as made earlier, up to a maximum of 3 months, as long as you were entitled to benefit for that period.
For us to work out how much benefit you will be entitled to, you need to give us proof of your income, savings and rent for the period you want to claim.
If you disagree with how we worked out your Reduction you should let us know in writing straightaway and we will look at your claim again. You can do this from our website:
If there is a change in your income or household circumstances you must notify us straightaway, this includes changes to your Universal Credit award.
You can do this from our website.
It is an offence to fail to report a change in circumstances, which may lead to the issuing of a sanction. This could include a fine, prison sentence or a police record.
Second Adult Rebate is a type of Council Tax Reduction based on the income of other people living with you. It is paid to your Council Tax account and reduces the amount of your bill.
You can claim Second Adult Rebate if you are a single person, of pensionable age and responsible for paying the Council Tax on the property where you live, and have other adults aged 18 or over living with you who are on a low income. Second Adult Rebate is usually for single people who do not qualify for Council Tax Reduction because their income or capital is too high.
Most people of pensionable age who have a partner living with them cannot get Second Adult Rebate.
If you are of pensionable age and have a partner living with you, Second Adult Rebate can only be awarded if the following conditions are met:
People not counted for Council Tax discount purposes:
Second Adult Rebate is worked out by looking at the total gross income of all the other adults who live with you. We do not need to know any details of your income or capital.
This depends on the type and amount of income of the other adults in your home.
Second Adult Rebate may reduce your Council Tax bill by the following:
| 25% | if all of the other adults receive either, Income Support, income-based Jobseekers Allowance, income-related Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit or any combination of these benefits |
| 15% | if their total gross income (before any deductions) is below £276.00 per week |
| 7.5% | if their total gross income is between £276.00 and £357.99 per week |
If their total income is £358.00 or more per week, you will not qualify for Second Adult Rebate.
The person who is liable to pay the Council Tax on the property must make the claim for Second Adult Rebate.
They must complete a Support claim form and if asked for, provide evidence of the other adult(s) income.
If you only want to claim Second Adult Rebate, you will not have to give details of your income, only those of the other adults in your household. You can make a claim from our website.