Council tax benefit: frequently asked questions

Council tax benefit is intended to help people with the cost of council tax. It can be paid in addition to any discounts that you may also be eligible to claim.

To be eligible to claim council tax benefit you must be liable to pay council tax in respect of the dwelling and be resident at the subject dwelling.

1. Can I claim council tax benefit?
2. How do I make a claim?
3. Can I claim council tax benefit if I work?
4. Can I claim if I am self-employed?
5. What other proof do I need to provide?
6. Does the amount of capital/assets I have affect my claim?
7. What happens if I have somebody aged 18 or over other than my partner living with me?
8. How much council tax benefit can I get?
9. When will benefit be paid from?
10. Can my claim be backdated?
11. How long is council tax benefit paid for?
12. How will council tax benefit be paid?
13. What happens when you receive my claim?
14. What happens if I do not agree with your decision?
15. What happens if my circumstances change?
16. I have started work. What do I need to do?
17. Can I get any extra help in paying my council tax?
18. How can I report suspected benefit fraud?

Can I claim council tax benefit?

You can claim council tax benefit for the property that you live in.

Normal council tax benefit is based on the income, capital and circumstances of you and your partner.

There is another type of council tax benefit that you may be able to get instead of normal council tax benefit; this is known as second adult rebate.

Second adult rebate is based on the income and circumstances of other adults (not including your partner) who live in your household.

This may be awarded if your income is too high to get normal council tax benefit but another adult in your household has a low income, for example, receives Income Support.

The maximum second adult rebate that can be awarded is restricted to 25% of your total council tax bill.

Where you have applied for both normal council tax benefit and second adult rebate we will automatically work out and award whichever benefit results in the highest award. However, you can apply for second adult rebate only if you wish.

How do I make a claim?

• By phone - The easiest way to make a new claim for housing and/or council tax benefit is by phone. Telephone 0161 909 6506 to make an appointment and we will phone you back at a pre-arranged time so that you can make your claim. We will advise you of any information you need to provide to support your claim and where to take this information. The quicker you provide this information and sign your claim the quicker we can pay your benefit.
• By appointment - If you can not make a claim by phone you can make an appointment with one of our customer advisors and they will assist you with your claim. Telephone 0161 909 6504 to make an appointment. We will advise you what information you need to bring with you to your appointment. If you bring everything that we need with you to the appointment we can process your claim quicker.
• By home visit - If you are unable to make a claim by phone or visit one of our customer advice centres because you are unable to leave your home, we can arrange for one of our staff to visit you in your home to assist you to make a claim. Telephone 0161 909 6504 to request a home visit.

Can I claim council tax benefit if I work?

You can claim council tax benefit if you work and receive a low income.

We will need to see proof of your/your partner's earnings and capital/assets. You will need to provide:

• Your last five pay slips, if you are paid weekly
• Your last three pay slips if you are paid fortnightly
• Your last two pay slips, if you are paid monthly
• If you have only recently started work and not yet been paid, ask your employer to provide an estimate of your gross earnings, Income Tax and National Insurance deductions. We will use this information to calculate your council tax benefit until you receive actual details of your earnings. The employers' form is included with the housing benefit/council tax benefit application package, or you can call us to request one: 0161 909 6504
• Most recent bank statements (covering most recent two months)

Can I claim if I am self-employed?

You can claim council tax benefit if you are self-employed and receive a low income from your business.

You will need to send us your most recent accounts, with your claim form if possible, and we will also send you our self-employed information sheet to complete. If this is a new business we will require a figure of projected earnings over a thirteen week period. You will also need to provide your last two months' bank statements.

What other proof do I need to provide?

You need to provide proof of all income and capital in respect of yourself, your partner and anyone who lives with you who is aged 18 or over.

You also need to provide proof of your identities and National Insurance numbers. The claim form will tell you what you can provide as proof.

Does the amount of capital/assets I have affect my claim?

It will depend on the total amount of capital you, and your partner, have as to whether it will affect your benefit entitlement.

• If you and your partner have joint capital of more than £16,000 you will not normally be able to get council tax benefit.
• You can have up to £6,000 capital before it affects your benefit entitlement.
• If you are under 60 years of age a tariff of £1 will be applied for every £250 between £6,000 and £16,000 when we work out your entitlement to benefit. For example, for every £250 above £6,000 we say you have an extra £1 of income per week.
• If you are over 60 years of age a tariff of £1 for every £500 between £6,000 and £16,000 is taken into account when we work out your entitlement to benefit. For example, for every £500 above £6,000 we say you have an extra £1 of income per week.
• Capital includes cash, current accounts, other bank/building society/post office accounts, unit trusts, ISAs, TESSAs, National Savings Certificates, shares, premium bonds and property (other than the home you live in) or land you own.

What happens if I have somebody aged 18 or over other than my partner living with me?

Non-dependants are usually adult sons, daughters, other relatives or friends who live in the person claiming council tax benefit's household on a non-commercial basis.

Council tax benefit will normally be reduced if a non-dependant lives in the household.

There is an expectation that non-dependants will make a contribution towards their costs including rent, council tax and food, etc.

The amount they pay towards the above is not taken in to account and instead standard deductions are made from the council tax benefit entitlement.

The standard deductions which are set by the government were increased from April 2011.

Cases where no non-dependant deduction is made

No non-dependant deductions will be made if the claimant or their partner:

• Is blind or has recently regained their site
• Receives the Care Component of disability living allowance payable at any rate
• Receives attendance allowance payable at any rate

Also no deduction is made where the non-dependant:

• Is aged under 18 years of age
• Is aged under 25 years old and getting Jobseekers Allowance (income based) or Income Support
• Is in the assessment phase of Employment and Support Allowance (income related)
• Receiving Pension Credit
• Council tax benefit only - is aged 25 years or over and getting Jobseekers Allowance (income based) or Income Support.
• Is a student
• Is a youth trainee
• Is in prison
• Has been in hospital for 52 weeks or more

Non-dependant deductions council tax benefit	April 2010 deductions	April 2011 deductions	Increase from April 2011
In receipt of state Pension Credit or in receipt of IS, JSA (IB), or ESA (IR)	Nil	Nil	Nil
Aged 18 or over and in remunerative work	Nil	Nil	Nil
Gross income greater than £387	£6.95	£8.60	£1.65
Gross income not less than £310 but less than £387	£5.80	£7.20	£1.40
Gross income not less than £180 but less than £310	£4.60	£5.70	£1.10
Gross income less than £180	£2.30	£2.85	£0.55
Others aged 18 or over	£2.30	£2.85	£0.55

How much council tax benefit can I get?

You may be able to get council tax benefit for the full amount of council tax that you have to pay. This will depend on your income and whether you have other adults (other than your partner) living in your household.

When will benefit be paid from?

Your benefit will usually start from the Monday after we receive your claim form. It is important that you return your claim form to us as soon as possible as any delay may result in you losing benefit. Please don't wait until you have all the proof needed to support your claim.

Can my claim be backdated?

If you are under 60 years of age:

Council tax benefit can be backdated for up to six months (this changed in October 2008). You will need to submit your request for a backdate, in writing, and give us a good reason why you couldn't claim earlier. You can request backdated benefit on the council tax benefit claim form or you can ask for a backdate request form by phoning 0161 909 6504, or by writing to us with your details (address at foot of page).

If you are over 60 years of age:

If you claim council tax benefit we would normally start your benefit up to three months before the date you claimed. We can only do this if you have to pay council tax for this period and are entitled to claim. If this is the case, we will write to you to ask for further details if we do not have them. If we do not start your claim from three months before you make your claim, please contact us on 0161 909 9504 or at the address at the bottom of this page.

How long is council tax benefit paid for?

Council tax benefit is awarded for as long as you are entitled to it. From time to time we will need to confirm details of your claim and we will contact you where this is necessary or we may arrange to visit. Please remember to tell us of any change to your circumstances. For example: changes in income or someone moving in/out of your home (see further details below 'What happens if my circumstances change?').

How will council tax benefit be paid?

Council tax benefit is awarded for as long as entitlement remains.

This will reduce the amount that you have to pay and we will send you a new council tax bill to advise you how much you have to pay.

What happens when you receive my claim?

When we receive your claim form we will check the form and the proof that you have provided.

If we have all of the information we need to decide your claim we will process your claim as quickly as possible and tell you the outcome of your claim.

If we need you to provide more information we will write to you again. You will have one calendar month to provide us with any additional information that we ask for, or for you to tell us when the information will be available. Failure to provide additional information or failure to tell us that the information is delayed may result in your claim not being processed.

What happens if I do not agree with your decision?

When we have decided your claim we will send you a notification letter telling you the outcome of your claim. The letter will advise you of all of the details we have used to work out your benefit entitlement and it is important that you check that the information is correct. You must let us know within one month if you do not agree with the decision we have made in your case. More information regarding how to appeal a decision.

What happens if my circumstances change?

It is very important that you let us know immediately if your circumstances change because you may then receive too little or too much benefit.

It is an offence not to tell us about any change of circumstance that affects your benefit. We may take court action against you and if we pay you too much benefit, you will probably have to pay it back.

You can tell us about any changes by writing to the Benefit Service at the address shown at the bottom of this page, or you can use the change of circumstances form that was sent to you with your council tax benefit award notice. It is important that you provide details of the change, the date that the change occurred and proof where appropriate.

Examples of the type of changes that you need to report are as follows:

• If you change your address
• Changes in income or capital/assets (you or your partner)
• Changes in status (for example marriage, separation, bereavement)
• The end of your entitlement to Income Support (I.S); Jobseekers Allowance Income or Contributions Based (JSAIB or JSA Conts) Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) (you or your partner)
• Absences exceeding, or likely to exceed, 13 weeks (you or your partner)
• Changes affecting people who live with you, including:
  • If someone comes to live with you or if someone leaves your household
  • If the income or circumstances of someone living with you change (for example they start/end work, start/end college/university or start/end Income Support)
  • If you stop getting child benefit for someone

This list only provides some examples of the type of changes that may occur (and there are many more). It is very important that you check with the Benefit Service on the phone number shown below if you are unsure if a change will affect your entitlement to council tax benefit.

I have started work, what do I need to do?

Notify us by calling 0161 909 6504 or write to us at the address below.

If you have been on income support, income based jobseekers allowance, incapacity benefit, severe disablement allowance or employment and support allowance for 26 weeks or more, immediately before starting work, you may be entitled to an extended payment of council tax benefit.

This means that for the first four weeks after you start work you will continue to receive the same amount of council tax benefit that was being paid to you before you started work.

Extended Payment (EP): To claim your EP you need do nothing. For those who have been in receipt of income support or income based jobseekers allowance or employment and support allowance we can process your EP using the information from Department for Work and Pensions when they tell us you have started work. For those in receipt of incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance we will pick the information up when you submit your new benefit claim as a low earner. If you won't be claiming again once you start work you can ensure we award your EP, if appropriate, by calling us: 0161 909 6504 or writing to us at the address below.

Making a further claim for council tax benefit after starting work

After starting work you may still be entitled to council tax benefit if you, or your partner, are on low income. You will need to complete a change of circumstances form giving details of the change. Remember you will need to support your change by providing evidence of income, for example pay slips.

Where you have not yet received your first wage from your new employer you will need to ask them to provide us with details of your likely gross earnings, Income Tax and National Insurance deductions so that we can estimate your earnings to calculate your council tax benefit entitlement.

When you have received your first wage slips you will need to send them to the Benefit Office so that we can check details of your actual earnings. We may then have to amend your claim again.

Can I get any extra help in paying my council tax?

If you do not qualify for full council tax benefit, it may mean that you have to pay something towards your council tax.

You could apply for a discretionary council tax payment to help towards these payments.

If you think that you may qualify for extra help, please put your reasons in writing to us and we will consider your case (address below).

You will need to provide us with full details of why you feel you should get extra help, for example details of any medical conditions and family circumstances you feel should be taken into account.

We may need to ask you to provide additional information and/or evidence to support your application.

You may also be able to get an extended payment of housing benefit to cover your rent.

How can I report suspected council tax benefit fraud?

The council is committed to ensuring that people receive their correct entitlement to council tax benefit, and every effort will be made to deal with claims as quickly as possible.

However, it is important that people who are claiming benefit to which they are not entitled are reported to the benefits service so that the appropriate action can be taken against them.

If you are aware of, or think that somebody may be claiming benefit fraudulently, you can contact us on the Benefit Fraud Hotline 0800 328 6340, which is a 24-hour freephone service. Any information provided will be treated in confidence.

If you believe people are receiving a discount off their council tax bill, which they are not entitled to, please report this on 0161 909 6502.

Who to contact

Name

Housing and council tax benefits

Address

Unity House
Salford City Council
Chorley Road
Swinton
Salford
M27 5AW
Map to this location

Telephone

0161 909 6504

Email

benefitenquiries@salford.gov.uk

This page was last updated on 20 April 2012