Who is eligible for Council Tax Support to help with council tax | Who is eligible for Council Tax Support to help with council tax

You can get Council Tax Support if:

You are responsible for paying the Council Tax bill.
You are on a low income whether from benefits or low-paid work.
You (and your partner) don't have more than £16,000 in savings and capital, unless you are getting Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit).
You get Universal Credit, because it only includes help with your rent, not with your Council Tax.

If you have a partner we will include their income and savings as well when we work out how much Council Tax Support you can get.

You get less Council Tax Support if you are working-age than if you are pension-age.

To claim Council Tax Support or find out what you are entitled to use our online form.

Make a claim

You can't get Council Tax Support if any of the following apply:

If you are an asylum seeker, unless you have been given refugee status or indefinite or exceptional leave (also called discretionary or humanitarian leave) to remain in the United Kingdom.
If you have been admitted to the United Kingdom on condition that you have 'no recourse to public funds'. This means that you must not claim benefits.
If you are a sponsored immigrant and have lived here for less than five years, unless your sponsor has died.
If you are in the United Kingdom illegally or your permission to stay has run out.

Pension-age people whose income or savings are too high to get Council Tax Support

You may be able to get a benefit called Second Adult Rebate instead to help with your Council Tax. We work out which is best for you when you claim Council Tax Support. Read more about Second Adult Rebate.

Students

Most full-time students cannot get Council Tax Support but there are exceptions.

More information about benefits for students.

Discretionary Council Tax Payments

Even if you are entitled to Council Tax Support, you may be able to get extra help in certain circumstances if you are suffering exceptional hardship and struggling to pay your Council Tax. You may still get some help even if you don't qualify for Council Tax Support. Read more about Discretionary Council Tax Payments.