What is the Working Age Council Tax Support Scheme?
If you have savings of less than £6,000 and are on a low income you could receive help with your Council Tax bill.
The Working Age Council Tax Support Scheme is an income-banded system based on your household size and weekly income. It will give you a percentage reduction on your council tax if you meet the criteria. If you are eligible for support, you could see a reduction of your council tax bill of between 25% and 100%, depending on how you fit the criteria.
Council Tax support for pensioners
If you’re pension age, the Government has set rules that are used to calculate the amount of Council Tax Support you’ll get.
Criteria to get it
To be able to apply for the Working Age Council Tax Support, you must have savings of less than £6000. If you do not fall into a reduction band detailed below, you will not receive any Council Tax Support.
For more information on the scheme visit: Ryedale District Council – Council Tax Reduction Scheme.
The Reduction bands and household categories are detailed in the grid below:
| Council Tax Reduction Level | Passported | Single £ | Couples £ | Family with One Child £ | Family with Two or more children £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Band A – 100% | Relevant Benefit | 0.00 to 114.00 | 0.00 to 167.00 | 0.00 to 219.00 | 0.00 to 271.00 |
| Band B – 75% | N/A | 114.01 to 157.00 | 167.01 to 208.00 | 219.01 to 261.00 | 271.01 to 312.00 |
| Band C– 50% | N/A | 157.01 to 208.00 | 208.01 to 261.00 | 261.01 to 302.00 | 312.01 to 354.00 |
| Band D – 25% | N/A | 208.01 to 261.00 | 261.01 to 312.00 | 302.01 to 354.00 | 354.01 to 396.00 |
Who can claim Council Tax Support?
Council Tax Support is available to single people, families, couples, working people, retired people, the unemployed, and anyone on a low income. You can apply for council tax support even if you own your house. However, you will not qualify if you are working age and have savings of over £6000. Or, if you’re pensionable age and have savings over £16000, unless you receive guaranteed pension credit.
Use our benefits calculator to find out if you may qualify.
How to apply for Council Tax Support
Simply complete this form: Council Tax Support online application form.
You’ll need to complete all the relevant questions, sign and date the declaration. Please provide all the original documents we need too.
If you can’t provide all the evidence we need, still send the form back to us as quickly as possible, otherwise you will lose out on your date of claim. You’ll still need to provide evidence within four weeks after applying.
When your application is received, we assess it according to the date of the application and the date we received the necessary information.
Usually, the Council Tax Support starts from the Monday following the date an application is received. Your support decision notice will tell you the date you’ll get yours.
Universal Credit and Council Tax Support
If you have successfully applied for Universal Credit and told us that you pay Council Tax, you will not need to apply for Council Tax Support. That’s because we’ll have been told about this already. However, we ask you to please email benefits with your national insurance number and name, so that your claim can be monitored.
If your application for Universal Credit was unsuccessful you will need to apply here for council tax support. Council Tax Support online application form.
How Council Tax Support is paid
Council Tax Support is credited directly to your Council Tax account. An adjustment notice showing the revised balance will be sent shortly afterwards.
Questions?
If you have any queries about claiming Council Tax Support, please email benefits.
Council Tax Support backdated claims
If you’re working age you could be entitled to up to one month of backdated Council Tax Support. To receive this, you have to show us good cause for not having applied earlier.
If you’re a pensioner, then you may be entitled to up to three months of backdated Council Tax Support.
Council Tax Support renewal and reporting changes to us
You don’t have to renew your claim for Council tax Support each year as this is paid for as long as you are entitled to it.
We do need to know if you have any changes in income, or benefits to ensure you’re receiving the right amount of support.
We can also review your claim at any point to check it’s up-to-date.
You can report any changes through the change of Circumstances online form or by emailing benefits.
If you move out of Ryedale, you’ll need to let us know as you won’t be entitled to Council Tax Support anymore. If you move properties within the area, you can complete a change of address form.
Council Tax Support Exceptional Hardship Fund
We have an Exceptional Hardship Fund. If you believe that a change to your Council Tax Support has placed you in severe financial hardship and you can’t pay your council tax bill, you can apply to this fund. Please get in touch with benefits to find out more.
This fund is discretionary and every claim is assessed upon the evidence you give us. The fund is designed to help you pay your Council Tax bill in the short-term and allow you to take action to make these payments in the future. If successful, the payment will be made straight to your Council Tax account.
There’s a limit to this fund and there’s no guarantee that you will receive assistance. The Exceptional Hardship Fund payment is made outside of the Housing Benefit and Local Council Tax Support Scheme, so it doesn’t fall within the statutory appeal process.
Council Tax Support appeals
If you think our decision about your Council Tax Support is wrong, write to us first and ask us to look at the decision again. You can write to us at any point to say you disagree with a Council Tax Support decision. We must reply to you within two months.
If we have looked at our decision again and you’re still unhappy with our decision, you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal Service but only after you have written to us. You must contact them within two months of the date of our reply.
Also, if you haven’t heard from us and it is two months since you wrote to us, you can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal Service. But you must contact them within four months of when you first wrote to us.
You can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal Service about:
- Whether you are entitled to Council Tax Support (they call it Council Tax Reduction)
- How much Council Tax Support we have awarded you under our scheme
You can’t appeal to the Valuation Tribunal Service (VTS) about the rules we have put in our scheme.
How to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal Service
Appeal online or download a form to fill in and send back to them.