Updated 5 March 2024
Since April 2013 every local authority has to produce a localised Council Tax Reduction Scheme for those applicants below State Pension age. The scheme is reviewed each year.
This year we have only changed the income bands. These changes apply from 1 April 2024:
You can view a summary of the changes to the scheme below.
1. Levels of Council Tax Reduction
Please note that in the table below all stated income is weekly and a dependant child is a child you receive Child Benefit for.
When we work out how much income you have we do not take it all into account. See the ‘What doesn’t count as income‘ section for more details.
You can get a 100% reduction if you are:
Single without any dependant children and have an income between £0.00 and £103.82
Part of a couple that has no dependant children and have an income between £0.00 and £153.32
A lone parent with one dependant child and have an income between £0.00 and £214.90
Part of a couple with one dependant child and have an income between £0.00 and £214.90
A lone parent with two or more dependant children and have an income between £0.00 and £275.25
- Part of a couple with two or more dependant children and have an income between £0.00 and £275.25
You can get an 80% reduction if you are:
Single without any dependant children and have an income between £103.83 and £165.38
Part of a couple that has no dependant children and have an income between £153.33 and £214.90
A lone parent with one dependant child and have an income between £214.91 and £275.25
Part of a couple with one dependant child and have an income between £214.91 and £275.25
A lone parent with two or more dependant children and have an income between £275.26 and £336.82
- Part of a couple with two or more dependant children and have an income between £275.26 and £336.82
You can get a 60% reduction if you are:
Single without any dependant children and have an income between £165.39 and £226.97
Part of a couple that has no dependant children and have an income between £214.91 and £275.25
A lone parent with one dependant child and have an income between £275.26 and £336.82
Part of a couple with one dependant child and have an income between £275.26 and £336.82
A lone parent with two or more dependant children and have an income between £336.83 and £398.41
- Part of a couple with two or more dependant children and have an income between £336.83 and £398.41
You can get a 40% reduction if you are:
Single without any dependant children and have an income between £226.98 and £289.75
Part of a couple that has no dependant children and have an income between £275.26 and £324.76
A lone parent with one dependant child and have an income between £336.83 and £398.41
Part of a couple with one dependant child and have an income between £336.83 and £398.41
A lone parent with two or more dependant children and have an income between £398.42 and £459.98
- Part of a couple with two or more dependant children and have an income between £398.42 and £459.98
What doesn’t count as income
There are certain types of income we completely ignore when it comes to working out how much income you have. We also ignore the first £25 of any earnings you or your partner has.
Below is a list of the income we do not treat as being part of your income.
If you or your partner are working we ignore £25 per week of those earnings.
Payments received from Government Schemes to assist with the cost of living crisis will not be counted as part of your income.
If you are paid more welfare benefit as a result of an emergency increase this will not be included as part of your income.
If you receive Disability Living Allowance we will not take any of this into account as income.
If you receive Personal Independence Payments we will not take any of this into account as income.
If you receive the support component of Employment and Support Allowance we will not take any of this into account as income. If you are unsure whether you receive this component you should contact them to find out.
If you receive the LCWRA element of Universal Credit we will not take any of this into account as income. If you are unsure whether you receive this component you should contact them to find out.
Premiums are extra amounts we can take off of the income we treat you as having. The amount we can take off depends on your circumstances.
We can take an extra amount off of your income if you get Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payments.
Premiums are extra amounts we can take off of the income we treat you as having. The amount we can take off depends on your circumstances.
We can take an extra amount off of your income if you get the high rate of Disability Living Allowance or enhanced rate Personal Independence Payments.
Premiums are extra amounts we can take off of the income we treat you as having. The amount we can take off depends on your circumstances.
We can take an extra amount off of your income if you get the high rate of Disability Living Allowance or enhanced rate Personal Independence Payments, you live on your own and no one gets Carers Allowance for caring for you.
Premiums are extra amounts we can take off of the income we treat you as having. The amount we can take off depends on your circumstances.
We can take an extra amount off of your income if your child gets Disability Living Allowance.
If you receive carers allowance we will not take this into account as income.
If you get the carers element within your Universal Credit award we will not take this into account as income.
We do not take child benefit into account as part of your income.
We do not take child maintenance into account as part of your income.
Any war pension you receive will not be taken into account as part of your income.
We may be able to take reduce how much of your income we take into account if you pay for childcare from an approved childcare provider and are:
- a lone parent and working
- part of a couple where both of you work
We will reduce the income we take into account by the amount of the childcare costs you incur.
2. Minimum Income Floor (MIF)
The MIF is applied in cases where a person has been trading as self-employed for at least a year and is reporting earnings below National Living Wage x 35 hours per week. In such cases, we apply an assumed minimum income of National Living Wage x 35 hours per week even if you are earnings less than this.
This year we have included more flexibility within our scheme in determining when to apply the MIF.
We can choose to multiply the National Living Wage by fewer than 35 hours per week if you have exceptional circumstances that mean you are unable to work for 35 hours per week.
3. Capital we can disregard
If you have more than £6,000 in savings and investments (Capital) you cannot get Council Tax Reduction. However, there are certain types of capital that we do not take into account.
In addition to the disregards found in our scheme last year, we have added some more.
If you own a home but have vacated that property due to separation we will not take the value of that property into account.
This can be disregarded for a maximum period of 26 weeks from the date you vacated the property.
If you have a property that you are trying to sell or otherwise dispose of, we can disregard the value of that property.
This can be disregarded for a maximum period of 26 weeks from the date you first took steps to dispose of the property.
If the DWP made an error when considering your Employment and Support Allowance and as a result you receive an arrears payment from them, we will not take the payment into account as capital.
This can be disregarded for a maximum period of 26 weeks from the date you received the payment.
If the DWP made an error when considering your Personal Independence Payments and as a result you receive an arrears payment from them, we will not take the payment into account as capital.
This can be disregarded for a maximum period of 26 weeks from the date you received the payment.
Please note that the changes set out on this page only apply to you if you are below State Pension age. If you have reached State Pension age and apply for Council Tax Reduction your claim is considered under the National Scheme rather than our localised scheme.
Council Tax Reduction for people who have reached State Pension age.