Who can get Council Tax Benefit?

Ordinary Council Tax Benefit

You can claim ordinary Council Tax Benefit if:

• you are responsible for paying the Council Tax bill;
• you are on a low income, whether from benefits or low-paid work; and
• you (and your partner) don't have more than £16,000 in savings or capital, unless you are getting Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit).

If you have a partner we will include their income and savings as well when we work out benefit.

You cannot get ordinary Council Tax Benefit 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.

Most full-time students  cannot get ordinary Council Tax Benefit. However, if you are a full-time student you may still be able to get Second Adult Rebate or Second Adult Rebate for students.

Claim Council Tax Benefit

Do a calculation to see how much benefit you might get

Second Adult Rebate

You cannot usually claim Second Adult Rebate:

• if you are jointly responsible for paying the Council Tax bill with someone else, for example your partner or a joint owner or joint tenant.

However, you may be able to claim Second Adult Rebate:

• if the person you are jointly responsible with is not counted for Council Tax purposes; and
• there is still one other adult living with you who is counted. We call them a 'second adult' .

If the second adult is on a low income and can't afford to help you pay the full Council Tax, you may get Second Adult Rebate.

Second Adult Rebate for students 

This can help if you're a student who is responsible for paying the Council Tax bill. If all the other adults you live with are also students, you can claim an exemption from Council Tax for an all-student household. If someone stops being a student, you cannot go on claiming this exemption.

However, you could claim 'student-only' Second Adult Rebate if the non-student or non-students are second adults who are getting:

• Income Support;
• Pension Credit;
• income-based Jobseeker's Allowance; or
• income-related Employment and Support Allowance.

You can't get both ordinary Council Tax Benefit and Second Adult Rebate at the same time. If you qualify for both, we will give you the one that pays the most.

Read more about Council Tax Benefit

Claim Council Tax Benefit 

Do a calculation to see how much benefit you might get