Council Tax Benefit
Information about council tax benefit and how to apply for it.
What is council tax benefit?
Council tax benefit is a welfare benefit paid by the council to help certain groups of people pay their council tax.
Who can claim?
You may claim this benefit if you are liable to pay the council tax and you are in receipt of income support, jobseeker's allowance (income based), employment and support allowance (income related), guaranteed pension credit or on a low income.
Can students claim?
As the majority of full-time students are exempt from paying council tax, they cannot claim council tax benefit. However, if you are in receipt of income support, jobseeker's allowance (income based), or employment and support allowance (income related) you are a single parent, of pensionable age, or disabled, you may be able to claim and you should make enquiries with the council's benefits' team. If you are a full-time student and you have a partner who is not a student, your partner may be able to claim council tax benefit.
How do I make a claim?
If you are claiming for income support, jobseeker's allowance (income based) or employment and support allowance (income related) you will be able to claim for council tax benefit when you make your telephone claim with jobcentre plus.
They will send the details of your completed telephone claim to the council with confirmation that you are in receipt of income support, jobseeker's allowance (income based) or employment and support allowance (income related).
If you are claiming pension credit you will be able to claim council tax benefit at the same time. The Pension, Disability and Carers' Service will send the details of your completed telephone claim to the council with confirmation that you are in receipt of pension credit.
If the above do not apply and you think that you are entitled to council tax benefit you should obtain an application from the benefits team and complete and return it to the council with all relevant documentation.
You can obtain an application form:
- by telephone or email using the contact details below or
- in person at Lancaster or Morecambe Town Hall between the hours of 9.00am and 5.00pm from Monday to Friday or
- by downloading a claim form from the list of downloads at the right hand side of the page or
- by contacting us at the address below:
Revenues Services
PO Box 4
Lancaster
LA1 1QR
YOU CANNOT RECEIVE COUNCIL TAX BENEFIT IF YOU HAVE NOT COMPLETED AN APPLICATION FORM.
What information do you need to work out my entitlement to council tax benefit?
You must provide details of your family circumstances; who lives with you, what their income is and what savings and investments they have.
In addition you must provide proof of:
- your identity and national insurance number and the identity and national insurance number for your partner, if you have one.
- income and capital for you and your partner. We need to see proof of your capital if you hold over £6,000 and you are working age or over £10,000 if you are a pensioner.
- other family members circumstances.
If you are receiving income support , job seekers allowance (income based), employment and support allowance (income related) or pension credit, you do not need to provide proof of income and capital for you and your partner.
What proof of identity is required?
At least one of the following must be provided for both you and your partner:
- Bank statements (less than 4 weeks old)
- Birth certificate (full or short)
- Driving licence
- Letter from solicitor/social worker/probation officer or HM Revenues & Customs
- Marriage certificate
- Medical card
- Passport (current and valid)
- Utility bill for the last quarter/month
- Wage slips from current employer
Documents must be originals - photocopies cannot be accepted.
What proof of national insurance number is required?
At least one document must be provided which shows your national insurance number and at least one document that shows your partner's national insurance number. Documents must be original - photocopies cannot be accepted.
The following are documents that may contain a national insurance number:
- Wage slips, P45 or P60
- Tax documents
- Letters from the Department for Work and Pensions
- National insurance number card
- Tax credit statement
When is council tax benefit awarded from?
If you qualify for council tax benefit it will be awarded from the Monday following the date you first contact the council for an application form, providing the form is returned within one month of the date it is issued to you. Otherwise council tax benefit will be paid from the Monday after the form is received by the council.
If you are in receipt of income support, jobseeker's allowance (income based) or employment and support allowance (income related) and you make a claim for council tax benefit within one month of the date you claim any of these benefits, you will be awarded council tax benefit from the date your income support , jobseeker's allowance (income based) or employment and support allowance (income related) entitlement starts or the date your council tax liability starts.
Similarly, if you are in receipt of guaranteed pension credit and you make a claim for council tax benefit within one month of the date you claim guaranteed pension credit you will be awarded council tax benefit from the date your pension credit is awarded or the date your council tax liability starts.
Can a claim be backdated?
Yes, you can request backdated benefit if there is a good reason why you did not claim earlier. You must be able to show continuous good cause from the date you are requesting that benefit is paid from to the date that your claim is made. You must state your reasons on the claim form or enclose a covering letter.
Backdating is limited to 3 months for pensioners and 6 months for working age customers.
How much council tax benefit will I be entitled to?
If you or your partner are in receipt of income support, jobseeker's allowance (income based), employment and support allowance (income related) or guaranteed pension credit you will be entitled to maximum council tax benefit, which is 100% of your council tax bill. However if you have anyone else living with you who is not dependent on you then your benefit may be reduced. The amount your benefit will be reduced by will depend on the income and circumstances of the person (or persons) living with you.
If neither you or your partner are in receipt of income support, jobseeker's allowance (income based), employment and support allowance (income related) or guaranteed pension credit, then the amount of benefit you will receive will depend on your council tax bill, your income and capital (and your partner's income and capital if you are a couple), your personal circumstances and the income and circumstances of anyone else who lives with you.
If you are jointly liable to pay council tax with someone other than your partner you will receive benefit based on your share of the council tax bill. Please note that joint occupiers (who are not partners) must make separate claims for benefit.
The council will automatically calculate whether you will be better off with council tax benefit or alternative council tax benefit.
How is council tax benefit paid?
If you are awarded this benefit, normally the amount you are entitled to will be used to reduce your council tax bill. However, if you have paid your council tax in full for the year you will be entitled to repayment of the amount of benefit. Alternatively, you may wish to have the amount of benefit you are entitled to carried forward to your next year’s council tax bill.
If you do, you must notify the council tax section as soon as possible on telephone number 01524 582900.
What can I do if I think the decision about my council tax benefit is wrong?
If you have received a decision about council tax benefit and you think the decision is wrong, you can ask us to explain it, or request a written statement of reasons. If you still think it is wrong after we have explained it to you, we will look at the decision again. For some decisions, you can appeal to an independent tribunal who can change the decision if they agree that it is wrong.
If you want us to look at the decision again or if you want to appeal against it, you must do so within one calendar month of the date on the decision letter. A detailed booklet on the dispute process is available on request from the benefits section.
Change of circumstances
Once you have claimed council tax benefit you are under a duty to inform the benefits team within one calendar month of any changes in your income and circumstances and the income and circumstances of anyone else who lives with you. If you move to a new address you must inform the benefits team immediately. You may need to make a fresh claim for council tax benefit.
You may lose any increase in benefit that may be due to you if you do not tell us about changes of circumstances quickly.