You can apply for Council Tax support if you’re:
- on a low income or claiming benefits
- paying rent to a housing association or private landlord
How much Council Tax support you might get depends on:
- your family circumstances
- your income and savings
- the people you have living with you
If you have savings and investments totalling more than £16,000 (apart from some pensioners on Guarantee Pension Credit) you are not likely to get Council Tax support.
You can use the benefits calculator to find out if you can claim and how much Council Tax support you could get.
If you can't claim Council Tax support due to high income or savings, you could still receive up to 25% off your bill if there is a second adult or adults living in your home.
You may also be able to claim Housing Benefit if you’re claiming Council Tax support.
You can read and download our full policy document for The Local Council Tax support scheme 2022/23.
Apply online
You can apply for Council Tax Support using our online form. This is for new claimants only.
If you are applying for Housing Benefit and Council Tax support at the same time, you only need to fill in the application form once.
To make a claim you will need:
- your name, address and contact details
- the full names and dates of birth of everyone who lives with you, and what their relationship is to you
- your National Insurance number
- the amount of rent you pay, including a breakdown of any service charges
- the name and address of your landlord
- the date you moved in to your property
- the account number and sort code of all your bank accounts
- the amount of savings, capital and investments you have
- the name of your employer
- how much you earn
- to tell us if you get any other benefits or tax credits, including what they are and how much you get
- how much child maintenance you get, and how often you get it
- to tell us if you get child care costs, how much you get, how often you get it and which child it's for
- to tell us if you have any other income, and how much you get
If you live with your partner or have any non-dependents living with you, you will also need to give us their details.
Where we ask you for documents to support your application, you must supply:
- original documents
- the latest copies
- the same proof for you, your partner (if you have one) and any other adults living in your home
You need to make your Council Tax support claim as soon as possible. We can’t backdate Council Tax support claims, so you will lose money if you don’t make your claim.
You may find it easier to complete the Council Tax support claim form on a desktop computer rather than on a smartphone or tablet.
You can save the form as you fill it in and come back and complete it later.
How we pay Council Tax support
We apply your Council Tax support to your Council Tax account. This means that your Council Tax bill will show the reduced amount that you have to pay.
After we receive your application
Once we have received your application, we will decide:
- if you should receive Council Tax support and send you a new bill
- or tell you why you won't receive Council Tax support and write to you to explain why
Appeal our decision
If you think that our decision about your application is wrong, you can ask us to explain it or make an appeal.
False information
When you submit your application for Council Tax support, you declare that the information you have given is true to the best of your knowledge.
We will take action where we believe that you have knowingly supplied false information to obtain a financial benefit to which a person is not entitled.
Change in circumstance
You should contact us immediately if your circumstances change in a way that may alter your entitlement to Council Tax support.