Council Tax Support: how to pay less Council Tax in 2022

What is Council Tax Support? Is it the same as Council Tax Reduction? Am I eligible? You may be able to pay less Council Tax thanks to Council Tax Support in 2022. In fact, you will then be able to reduce your Council Tax bill. This Your Benefits article will walk you through everything you need to know about Council Tax Support.

Apply for Council Tax Support

You can either apply for Council Tax Support in a physical form or online in 2022. Some local councils also let you apply by phone. If you want to figure out if this is the case for your local council, look for your local council’s website.

Furthermore, you can apply for Council Tax Reduction (Council Tax Support) as soon as you believe you know when you will be eligible. You do not have to wait until the date of your eligibility. In fact, this is to ensure that you can earn Council Tax Support as soon as you qualify.

You may apply 13 weeks before the date on which you become eligible for Council Tax Support. Finally, you may apply for Council Tax Reduction 17 weeks before you qualify for ‘pension age rules‘.

Can I backdate my claim?

You may have already been eligible for Council Tax Reduction at the time of your claim. Then, your claim could be backdated. This depends on the rule that applies to your situation.

The ‘working age rules‘ may apply to you. Then, your claim could be backdated. However, you will need to provide a good reason as to why your claim could not have been completed at an earlier time.

The ‘pension age rules‘ may apply to you. Then, you may ask for your claim to be backdated by your local council. Moreover, this can be done for up to 3 months before the date of your claim. Furthermore, you do not have to provide a reason for not making your claim at an earlier date. 

You can ask for your claim to be backdated on the application form. The relevant section might sometimes have the name ‘late application‘.

Do I need to include evidence with my claim?

You may need more time to gather the evidence necessary for your claim. If this is the case, write ‘evidence to follow‘ on your claim form. Then, send the form as soon as you are able to. The evidence you will have to send depends on your local council’s requirements. 

Notify your local council if one of the following is true for you:

• You are unable to provide the required evidence;
• You need more time to provide the required evidence.

Housing benefit and Council Tax Support claim

You may want to receive Housing Benefit. Then, you can apply for this benefit, or for this and Council Tax support at the same time. In fact, you can sometimes do so online.

You may not be sure if your local council allows you to apply for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support. In fact, you may not be sure what your local council is. Then, you can check this on the Gov.UK website.

What is Council Tax Support?

Council Tax Support in 2022 (more commonly known as Council Tax Reduction) is a discount you may be able to earn on your Council Tax bill. This scheme has been replacing Council Tax Benefit since April 2013.

There are 2 different sets of rules for Council Tax Reduction in 2022 (Council Tax Support). Moreover, the rules you qualify for depend on your age, as well as benefits you might earn.

There are other benefits you could be eligible for. Then, Your Benefits can help. In fact, we write a number of articles on benefits you could be eligible for. To learn more, do not hesitate to read them, either through the links in this article, or the dropdown menu above.

Council Tax Support eligibility

You may be claiming benefits, or currently on a low income. Then, you could get up to a 100% discount on your Council Tax bill. You are eligible to apply if you are in a variety of different circumstances. For example, you may apply if you are working, not working, renting or owning your home.

The following will dictate if you can receive Council Tax Support, and pay a lower amount of Council Tax:

• The area you live in (this is because every local council has their own way of running this benefit);
• Other adults or children that live in the same home as you;
• The income of your household (this includes everything from pensions to savings, to even your partner’s income);
• Other additional conditions and circumstances (this may include your residency status, how many children you have, benefits you receive…).

Your local council will ask you about your income and situation. In fact, this is so they can determine your Council Tax Support (Council Tax Reduction) eligibility. Once they calculate the new amount of Council Tax that you need to pay, they will communicate it to you.

What Council Tax Support rules apply to me?

Council Tax Support (Council Tax Reduction) has two different types of rates. More specifically, there is the working age rules, and the pension age rules. Which rate you are eligible for depends both on your age and benefits that you get.

The ‘working age rules‘ apply to you if you are younger than State Pension age. If you are at or older than State Pension age, the ‘pension age rule‘ will apply. However, this is if you don’t get a qualifying benefit. If you do get a qualifying benefit, the ‘working age rules‘ will apply.

How much is Council Tax Support?

You may be eligible for either the ‘working age rules‘ or ‘pension age rules‘. Your eligibility to the rules depend on both your age and benefits you may earn.

If you qualify for working age rules, you will need to contact your local council. In fact, they are the ones that will determine both what Council Tax Reduction (Council Tax Support) will give you, as well as who can get it. In most cases, you will not receive a 100% discount.

The pension age rules may apply to you. Then, your local council will calculate your total income. Additionally, they will calculate your partner’s income as well. In fact, this will determine how much Council Tax Reduction you may get.

Usually, you will need to have below £16,000 in capital (property and savings) to be eligible. However, if you receive the guarantee element of Pension Credit and have more than £16,000 in capital, you will still qualify for Council Tax Reduction (Council Tax Support).

What if I own more than £16,000 with someone else? 

You may own capital with someone else. This person may not be your partner. Then, for the purposes of this benefit, you will be assumed to own half of that capital.

If the person you have savings with is your partner, you will not be assumed to own half. For example, if the savings account with your partner has £20,000, you will be assumed to have £20,000 in capital. 

If your income is too high you could ask for a second adult rebate. In fact, you need to be over 18, and not be paying the rent. Then, you could also be eligible to claim council tax support.