Figures and statistics
The figures and statistics presented have been used to inform our decision to take this to consultation and will provide context for the proposed changes.
Number of households in receipt of Council Tax Support
This table shows the number of households who were receiving Council Tax Support on 1 September 2023. It includes whether they are pension-age or working-age. Pension-age residents receive support up to 100% of their Council Tax bill.
| Type of Council Tax Support claim | Working-Age not on Universal Credit | Working-Age on Universal Credit | Pension-Age | Total |
|
Number of cases |
18,913 | 13,341 | 15,385 | 47,639 |
Of the households who receive Council Tax Support 68% are working-age and 32% are pension-age.
The details shown in this section cover the changes we are proposing to make for working-age households.
Increasing the maximum Council Tax Support award
We are proposing that we increase the maximum Council Tax Support award for working-age residents to 85% of their Council Tax bill. Currently, the maximum they can receive is 82.5%.
On 1 September 2023 there were 32,254 working-age households receiving Council Tax Support. 59% of these households were receiving Universal Credit.
41% of the working-age households receiving Council Tax Support were not receiving Universal Credit. The types of income they may be receiving include Jobseekers Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, low earnings and Tax Credits
This table shows the current 2023/24 Council Tax charges and the amount a working-age household has left to pay where the maximum 82.5% Council Tax Support award is applied; and the amount left to pay if we increased the maximum award to 85%.
| Property Council Tax Band | 2023/24 bill (full charge)Amount to pay after 82.5% Council Tax Support award | Amount to pay after 82.5% Council Tax Support award | Amount to pay after 85% Council Tax Support award |
| Band A | £1,313.00 | £229.78 | £196.95 |
| Band B | £1,531.83 | £268.07 | £229.77 |
| Band C | £1750.67 | £306.37 | £262.60 |
| Band D | £1,969.50 | £344.66 | £295.43 |
| Band E | £2,407.16 | £421.25 | £361.07 |
| Band F | £2,844.82 | £497.84 | £426.72 |
| Band G | £3,282.50 | £574.44 | £492.38 |
| Band H | £3,939.01 | £689.33 | £590.85 |
Currently a working-age household living in a Band A property would have to pay £229.78 towards their Council Tax for the year. If Council Tax Support was increased to 85% the amount they would have to pay is reduced to £196.95.
83% of households in Manchester who receive Council Tax Support live in a Band A property.
Council Tax Support Universal Credit banded scheme
This table shows the amount of Council Tax a household on Universal Credit has left to pay for a property in Band A. The figures show the Council Tax payable under the current 2023/24 banded scheme and also how much would be payable if support in the banded scheme was increased by 2.5% as proposed.
| Band of income | Current support | Amount to pay after CTS award | Proposed 2.5% increase in CTS | Amount to pay after CTS award |
|
£0 over applicable amount |
82.5% of Council Tax | £229.78 | 85% | £196.95 |
|
£0.01 to £25 over |
70% | £393.90 | 72.5% | £361.08 |
|
£25.01 to £50 over |
45% | £722.15 | 47.5% | £689.33 |
|
£50.01 to £75 over |
30% | £919.10 | 32.5% | £886.28 |
|
£75.01 to £80 over |
12% | £1,155.44 | 14.5% | £1,122.62 |
| £80.01 over | No Support | No Support |
Backdating
We are proposing changes to the backdating period for working-age and pension-age households.
The current working-age Council Tax Support rules allow us to backdate Council Tax Support for up to six months from the date the applicant made the claim, or requested backdating if this is later. For pension age households we can backdate for up to three months before the claim was made.
We are proposing to increase the period we can backdate a claim for up to 12 months where residents have a good reason for not making a claim sooner. This would mean that the start date of a Council Tax Support award could be up to 12 months from the date of claim, or the date we receive the request for backdating if this is received later. This would allow us to give more support to residents.
They would also need to be entitled to Council Tax Support for the backdated period. For example, their income would need to be low enough to qualify for support under the scheme.