Claiming Council Tax Benefit
You can make a claim for Council Tax Benefit,
which is a means tested benefit if:
- You own your home (either outright or you have a mortgage),
and
- You are the person whose name is on the Council Tax Bill.
- You are on a low income
- You are 18 years of age
If you are jointly responsible for
Council Tax we can help pay your share of the bill.
When will I not be entitled to claim Council Tax
Benefit?
You will not be entitled to any Council Tax
Benefit if:
- You are not responsible for paying the Council Tax bill.
- You are a full time student
- Either you, or your partner, or both of you together, have more
than £16,000 in savings (unless you are getting Pension Credit
Guarantee Credit).
- You are an asylum seeker, unless you've been given refugee
status or indefinite or exceptional leave (also called
discretionary or humanitarian leave) to remain in the United
Kingdom.
- You have been admitted to the United Kingdom on the condition
that you have ‘no recourse to public funds’. Council Tax
Benefit is a public fund, so you may not claim it if this condition
was applied to you.
- You are a sponsored immigrant and have lived here for less than
five years.
- You are in the United Kingdom illegally or your permission to
stay has run out. You can find out more details on our
page People from Abroad if this applies to
you.
How do I claim Council Tax Benefit?
You can apply for Council Tax Benefit by submitting an
online claim form. You can also estimate your entitlement to
Council Tax Benefit using our online
Benefits calculator.
I don't think that I am eligible to claim Council Tax
Benefit, is there anything else I can do to reduce my Council Tax
bill?
If you share your home with other
Non-dependant adults (not people renting from you), who are on
a low income, and you do not have a partner, you may be
able to claim ‘second adult rebate’.
If you or someone who lives with you has a
disability, and your home has been adapted to meet the needs of the
disabled person, you may qualify for a reduction in your Council
Tax. This is known as ‘disabled persons relief’ and you can find
more information in our reducing your bill page.
Information about other discounts can also be
found on the reducing your bill page.
This webpage was updated on
1/24/2012