Council tax benefit is the responsibility of the Benefits
Service, part of the Department of Children's and Community
Services.
We pay council tax benefit to people on low income who have
difficulty in making their council tax payments. You do not have to
be getting other social security benefits before you can claim
council tax benefit.
Who can claim
council tax benefit?
You can claim council tax benefit, if you are liable to pay
council tax and you are resident at the property. The City of
London only processes council tax benefit claims for people who
live within the boundaries of the 'Square Mile'. If you are a City
of London tenant living outside the City, you should
contact your local council to claim council tax benefit.
Who cannot
claim council tax benefit?
The following people cannot normally get council tax benefit
(but please contact your Benefits Section for further details if
you are not sure whether you can claim)
- People who have more than £16,000 worth of savings
- Full-time students, unless you are disabled or have
children
- Asylum seekers and some other people from abroad who have come
to live in the UK in the last two years
- People who are not liable to pay council tax in their own
right
- People who are exempt from paying council tax
If your total savings are under £16,000 you may still be
entitled to benefits. If you have savings between £3,000 (£6,000 if
you’re aged 60 or over) and £16,000 this will affect the amount of
your benefit. However, if you or your partner are aged 60 or over
and you receive Savings Credit, savings over £16,000 will not
automatically disqualify you from benefit.
How to make a claim
If you are a City of London tenant living outside the 'Square
Mile', you should
contact your local council to claim council tax benefit.
If you are a City of London tenant living in the City (on either
the Middlesex Street or Golden Lane Estates), you can claim council
tax benefit on the same form as your housing benefit claim.
Your Benefits Section will be pleased to help you if have any
enquiries or need advice on how to complete your claim form -
please do not hesitate to get in touch. If you are
house-bound or unable to get to our offices for any other reason,
we can arrange for a Benefits Officer to visit you at home.
Click here for the contacts page.
If you pay rent to the City of London but live outside the
'Square Mile' in the London Boroughs of Hackney, Islington,
Lambeth, Lewisham, Southwark and Tower Hamlets your claim for
Council Tax Benefit must be made to the Council in whose area you
live.
Your benefit entitlement will normally only start from when your
claim form is first received in the Benefits Section. So you need
to get the completed housing benefit and council tax benefit claim
form back to us as soon as possible.
Click here to see our
Benefits Calculator.
If you want to speak to us directly you can contact
the Benefits Service (quoting your reference, if you have
one) on 020 7332 3937 or
by email.
Is there a
limit on the amount of council tax benefit I can get?
Until 31 March 2004, your benefit entitlement is based on the
banding of your property. If you live in a band F, G or H property
you can only receive benefit up to maximum equivalent to a band E
property, so you will have to pay the difference. After 1 April
2004 , the council tax benefit will be calculated using your full
council tax liability whatever band your property is in.
Second adult rebate
You can claim second adult rebate if there are other people
living in your home who are on a low income and they stop you
getting a single person discount on your council tax bill. Second
adult rebate is another way to help you pay less council tax. It is
not based on the money or savings you have, but on the money other
people who live with you have. You cannot usually claim second
adult rebate if you are jointly liable for council tax with anyone
else. But if you’re jointly liable with someone who is not counted
for council tax purposes, you may be able to claim second adult
rebate. You also cannot claim second adult rebate if the other
person (or people) living in your home are :
- liable for council tax with you
- a joint owner or tenant with you
- your married or unmarried partner
If you are living with more than one liable
person, you will not usually be able to get second adult rebate.
But some of these people are not counted for council tax purposes
anyway. If you want to claim second adult rebate you need to
complete a claim form. But if you have you have already claimed
council tax benefit we will automatically calculate whether you are
entitled to second adult rebate. If you qualify for both, we will
give you the one that pays the most. The gross income of the second
adult will be taken into account when assessing entitlement to
second adult rebate.
The maximum second adult rebate that can be
paid is 25% of the council tax bill.
The claim for second adult rebate must be made
by the person liable for the council tax bill, not by the second
adult. Because of this, we need proof of national insurance number
and identity of the person claiming (and for any partner they
have). However, if you are only claiming second adult rebate, you
do not need to supply us with proof of your income. We will need
proof of the second adult’s income or capital.
What if
I am on income support or Job Seekers Allowance?
Even if you are on income support or job seekers allowance you
still need to complete a housing benefit and council tax benefit
claim form before you can get help with your council tax or rent.
The DWP
(formerly the DSS) will have sent you a form called an HBCTB1 to
complete. If you have not completed it you need to do so now and
return it to them immediately.