Council tax reduction

On this page

- How it works
- Who it is for (eligibility)
- Apply
- Backdating your claim
- Help applying
- Report a change of circumstances

How it works

If you are on low income, own your own home, rent, are unemployed or working, and meet the eligibility criteria detailed below, you could qualify for council tax reduction.

Who is it for (eligibility)

You may be eligible for council tax reduction if you are responsible for paying the council tax for the property you live in and:

• are unemployed or on a low income
• either you, or your partner, or both of you together have savings or investments that fall below £16,000

Apply

Before you start

You'll need your council tax account number to make an application and ..*********** (get details from Kurt and Matthew of what else is needed )

You must continue to pay your current Council Tax bill while the outcome of your application is decided.

Apply for Council Tax Reduction

Help applying

If you need help applying and would benefit from face to face support, you can Book a One4all appointment. You can meet with a member of the team at an RCT library who will support you in completing and submitting the application.

Book an appointment

Backdating your claim

If you feel your council tax reduction should have started from an earlier date, you will need to email us requesting your entitlement be backdated and provide appropriate evidence to support your request.

Evidence accepted includes:

• Doctor's notes, medical certificates, or hospital admission/discharge letters.
• Witness statements, letters from social workers, or evidence of a relationship breakdown or domestic violence.
•  Letters or emails from an official source informing you that you were not eligible for support.

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

We will write to you with the decision made based on the evidence you have provided.

If your claim has not been successful we will explain the reasons and outline further advice. You have the right to appeal against our decision. The appeals process will be detailed in the letter you receive.

Report a change of circumstances

You must inform us immediately if your circumstances change as it could affect your entitlement to a discount. 

Report a change of circumstances

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Queries from meeting with Lee (contact centre)
* We didn’t show page preview, but asked Lee to explain the Council tax reduction to us: Lee’s explanation – out of work, low income or working part time – means tested.
Lee gets regular calls for queries re: the reduction fluctuation. *Income is for the month before – 1 month in arrears (example – if you have worked 100 hours in august – you won’t see reduction until September). Bill fluctuates
ACTION – Add this example t page to clarity reduction in bill – one month behind

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You can apply for Council Tax Reduction whether you’re unemployed or working however you may not be able to claim Council Tax Reduction if any of the following apply to you:

• either you, or your partner, or both of you together, have more than £16,000 in savings
• you live in a care home, such as a nursing home or old people’s home

How do I apply for Council Tax Reduction?

Get help filling in your 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.

• Book an appointment at your local One4All Centre. 

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 adviser

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 council tax reduction. A late notification may mean you lose out on receiving more reduction that you may be entitled to or you may be getting too much reduction and this could lead to overpaid reduction.

If you are unsure what types of changes may 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. However, 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.

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.