How much Council Tax Benefit can I get?
You may be able to get Council Tax Benefit for the full amount of Council Tax that you have to pay. This will depend on which Council Tax Band your property is in, your income, and whether you have other adults living in your home.
How is my Council Tax Benefit worked out?
If you get Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance (Income Based), Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related) or Guarantee element of Pension Credit:
You will get the full amount of your Eligible Council Tax as benefit after any non-dependant deductions have been taken off.
If you do not get Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance (Income- Based), Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related) or Guarantee element of Pension Credit:
We work out your Council Tax Benefit by comparing the money you get each week with your 'applicable amount'. Your applicable amount is the amount of money the Government says you (and your partner and dependant children, if they live with you) need to live on. It is made up of a personal allowance for you and your partner, allowances for dependant children, and extra amounts (usually called "Premiums") for disability, age, single parents and families.
If the money you get each week is less than, or the same as your applicable amount, you will get the full amount of eligible Council Tax Benefit.
What money is taken into account when my Benefit is worked out?
We take into account the money you earn from work after money has been taken out for:-
- Tax and National Insurance
- Half of any money you pay into a pension fund
We do not take into account:
- The first £5.00 of the money you earn each week, if you are single
- The first £10.00 of the money you (and/or your partner) earn each week, if you are a couple
- The first £20.00 of the money you (and/or your partner) earn each week, if you are disabled, or qualify for a carer premium
- The first £25.00 of the money you earn each week, if you are a single parent
- An extra £17.10 of the money you (and/or your partner) earn each week, if you work an average of 16/30 hours or more per week, and your applicable amount includes a family premium, and this has not been disregarded from your entitlement to a Tax Credit (see below).
- Childcare costs in certain cases
We also take into account
Any other money you have coming in. This includes most Social Security benefits, all types of Tax Credits, works and private pensions and any savings or capital you have.
We do not take into account
- Disability Living Allowance
- Attendance Allowance
- Mobility Allowance
- War Widows/Widowers Pension
- War Disablement Pension
- Maintenance payments for children
- The Tax Credit premium for working 16/30 hours or more
- Child Benefit
But we need to know if you get any of these, as you may get more Council Tax Benefit, because some of these incomes attract a premium in your applicable amount.
What happens next?
When we get your claim form with all the details of your household, proof of your identity, and proof of all income and savings/capital, we will work out the maximum amount of Council Tax on which we can base the calculation.
This will usually be the amount of Council Tax you have to pay after any discounts/exemptions have been taken off.
If you have non-dependants living with you
This may reduce the amount of your maximum
If your income is more than your applicable amount
We will reduce your Council Tax Benefit by 20% of the difference. If the remaining amount is 1p per week or more, you will qualify for that amount of Council Tax Benefit.
Discretionary Housing Payments
If you have been awarded Council Tax Benefit, but it is less than your eligible Council Tax, and you are in financial difficulty, you may be entitled to some extra help
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