If you receive benefits
When we calculate your weekly income to work out your band, we will not take into account the following:
- Carers Allowance
- Child Benefit
- Child Maintenance
- Disability Living Allowance
- The Support component of Employment and Support Allowance
- Personal Independence Payments
- War Widows/Widowers and War Disablement Pensions
If you are receiving Universal Credit, we will not take into account following elements of your Universal Credit award:
- Carer Element
- Disabled Child Element
- Housing Element
- Limited Capability for Work Elements
If you are in work
If you are in work we will exclude £20 from your weekly household earned income before we work out how much support you will get.
If a member of your household is disabled
If a member of your household is disabled and in receipt of certain disability benefits, we will exclude a further £50 per week from your total weekly income.
If your Council Tax band is higher than Band E
The Council Tax Reduction will be limited to a Band E charge. This means if you live in a band F, G or H, the maximum support you can get is 100% of a band E charge in the parish you live in. See our Council Tax bands and charges.
If a non-dependant person lives with you
A non-dependant is someone aged 18 or over who lives with you but is not a tenant or a lodger. For example, a grown up son or daughter who lives at home.
In most cases, we will make a deduction from your Council Tax Support because we expect that your non-dependant will help towards housing costs, whether they do or not.
There is a standard weekly deduction of £5 for any non-dependants living in your household who are not in full time education.
If the support you get has gone down because of the new scheme
If your Council Tax Support drops as a result of the new scheme and you are facing exceptional financial hardship as a result, you can apply for a discretionary discount.
If your household income changes
If your household income changes but it remains in the same income band, the amount of support you get will not change. The amount of support will change if the income of your household goes up or down and moves you into another income band.
You must tell us about changes in your circumstances which could affect what support you get. Tell us about changes to your:
- income – whether it goes up or down
- household – someone moves in or out
- capital - whether it goes up
Capital includes cash, current accounts and savings accounts with a bank or building society, Premium Bonds, National Savings Certificates, stocks/shares and the value of any land or property owned (other than the one you live in).
You must tell us within 21 days of the change. If you do not tell us then you may be overpaid or miss out on additional support.
