Deceased Persons
I am claiming Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit and
someone in my household has passed away, what do I need to
do?
Dealing with the death of someone close is one
of the most difficult things that many people will
experience. Although we realise that you may need time to
come to terms with what has happened it is important that you
notify us, as soon as you possibly can, that someone in your
household has passed away.
You can ring the council, call into the
Civic Centre, or visit the Gateway in Ashford or Tenterden to give
the information face to face. We know you won’t have
paperwork straight away, but please be aware that we will need to
see the death certificate when you have it. We can take a
copy and pass it straight back to you if you call in; if you post
it, then it will be copied and sent back to you the same day.
If you want a third party to help you sorting
out your council tax and/or housing benefits, please write a few
lines to say so, and we can then make sure we deal with them to
avoid upsetting you any more at such a sad time.
Now that my household circumstances have changed, can I
claim any further help with my rent and/or Council
Tax?
You may be entitled to more or less housing or
council tax benefit; it will all depend on your specific
circumstances. Please get in touch with the council so that
we can discuss your situation specifically, and give you the best
advice on what to do next.
If you are now the only adult living in the
property you can reduce your Council Tax bill by 25 per cent, this
is known as single person discount.
Even if there are other adults in your
household you may still be able to get a reduction in your Council
Tax bill. This is because in some circumstances certain
people, such as students, are not counted when we work out the
number of occupants of a household.
This webpage was updated on
12/11/2008