We want everyone who would qualify for council tax benefit to claim the help they are entitled to receive.

You can make a claim for council tax 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.

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.
• 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 about this on the page People from Abroad.

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 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 council tax pages.

Information about other discounts can also be found on the Council Tax webpages.

Download a Benefits Application Form

You must send us your contact details, by using the form below, before downloading an application form.