Council Tax reduction

You can apply for Council Tax Reduction whether you’re unemployed or working. However if you have over £16,000 capital you may not be entitled to a reduction.

How do I apply for Council Tax Reduction?

• If you cannot submit an application online using the above link, you can request an application form to be issued by phoning 01443 425002.

Help completing your Housing Benefit/Council Tax Reduction Application.

If you are elderly or disabled and have received an application form but require help in completing this, we may be able to visit you. Please contact us to request a visit.

Once you have made your application, if we need further information we will contact you either by telephone or by writing to you. It may help us to contact you quicker if you provide an up to date telephone number with your application.

If you wish to make an application for any other type of Benefit, or to see what else you may be entitled to claim please visit benefits calculator.

What happens if there are changes in my circumstances?

If there are any changes in your circumstances (or of those living with you) you should not wait for us to contact you, please get in touch with us to let us know about the change. A late notification may mean you lose out on receiving more benefit that you may be entitled to or you may be getting too much benefit and this could lead to overpaid benefit.

If you are unsure what types of changes need to be reported to us, please see the back of your latest award letter or contact us using the details below. 

From time to time we may contact you to check there have been no changes in your circumstances. If we do this we will either visit you, send you a form in the post to complete or telephone you.

Can my claim for Council Tax Reduction be backdated?

If you feel your Council Tax Reduction should have started from an earlier date, you should write to us requesting your entitlement be backdated. 

Claims will not normally be backdated before the day that your application is made, unless you are able to show continuous good cause for not applying at the appropriate time.

To support your backdate request, documentary evidence such as a Doctor’s paper, etc., should be included, requesting your entitlement be backdated.

We can only backdate Council Tax Reduction for a maximum of 6 months.

If we have decided that you have not shown good cause and that we cannot backdate your claim, the reasons for this will be explained in our letter and you will then have the right of appeal against our decision not to backdate your claim.