Council Tax Support scheme

The Council Tax Support Scheme became effective from 1 April 2013.

• What is it?
• Who is it for?
• How is it worked out?
• The Council Tax Support Scheme for working age Claimants
  • A maximum limit to the amount of Council Tax Support that can be paid
  • Capping the Council Tax support to a Band B
  • Treatment of earned income to provide work incentives
  • The amount of private pension contributions are ignored when calculating entitlement to support
  • Backdates
  • Claim Start Date
  • Remove Second Adult Rebate
• What should I do next?
• What if I disagree with the decision?

 

What is it?

The Council Tax Support Scheme replaced Council Tax Benefit from 1 April 2013. The scheme still provides financial assistance to Council Tax Charge payers on a low income whether they rent or own their home, or live rent-free, by reducing the amount of Council Tax they have to pay. The level of support provided under Council Tax Support may be significantly lower for some customers than they previously received under the Council Tax Benefit scheme.

Claimants of a state pensionable age will continue to receive the same level of support as they did under Council Tax Benefit.

The Council Tax Support Scheme was approved at full council on 21 December 2012.
 

Who is it for?

People on low income who pay council tax may be entitled to help. Claimants of a state pensionable age continue to receive the same level of support as they did under Council Tax Benefit.

Claims for working age claimants are assessed differently.
 

How is it worked out?

The council will look at the money you and your partner have coming in as well as your savings. The council will also look at your other circumstances such as your age and whether anyone else lives with you. With this information the council will work out if you qualify for Council Tax Support. If you can get Council Tax Support, this will not affect the amount of money you receive in other benefits.
 

The Council Tax Support Scheme for Working Age Claimants

The main aspects of the Council Tax Support Scheme for working age claimants are:

• A maximum limit to the amount of Council Tax Support that can be paid
• Capping the Council Tax support to a Band B
• Treatment of earned income to provide work incentives
• Increase the amount of private pension contributions which are ignored when calculating entitlement to support
• Backdates
• Claim Start Date
• Remove Second Adult Rebate

 

A maximum limit to the amount of Council Tax Support that can be paid

Everyone has to pay a minimum percentage of their council tax, no matter what their circumstances are. The minimum percentage is 20%.

Capping the Council Tax support to a Band B

Council Tax Support is limited to the level that would be given for a band B property. Most houses in Tameside are in bands A or B.

Treatment of earned income to provide work incentives

The scheme includes a benefit reduction of 35p for every £1 which will be applied only to the earned income of claimants who are working. This aligns with the government changes to other benefits and provides work incentives.

An additional £12.38 per week is disregarded from earned income.

The amount of private pension contributions are ignored when calculating entitlement to support

If a person is working and contributes to a private pension 100% of those costs are deducted from their earned income and disregarded. This rewards people who are saving for their retirement .

Backdates

There are no backdates allowed in the Council Tax Support Scheme.

Claim Start Date

Council Tax Support is mainly paid from the date the application is made. If the claimant is in receipt of a DWP passported benefit (Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance (income based) or Employment and Support Allowance (Income related), then the start date will be from the Monday following the start date of that DWP passported benefit, as long as an application is received within 3 months.

Remove Second Adult Rebate

There are no Second Adult Rebates in the Council Tax Support Scheme for working-age claimants.
 

What should I do next?

To see what your entitlement could be under the Council Tax Support scheme please use the on-line calculator.

Claim straight away.

You can also use the Online Council Tax Support claim form .
 

What if I disagree with the decision?

If you are unhappy with a decision we have made with regard to your Council Tax Support, you can ask us to explain our decision.

You must put the reasons why you are unhappy with the decision in writing to us. We will consider your reasons and will either tell you that

• we agree with you and have changed our decision; or
• that we are unable to change our decision

If, after you have received our explanation, you are still not satisfied with our decision you can appeal. You can also appeal if you have not heard back from us within two months. If you decide to appeal, you will need to send your appeal to the Valuation Tribunal Service which will arrange for your appeal to be heard by an independent tribunal.

Download the Council Tax Support scheme appeal form  

Click the link for more information about our Customer Service Centres