Check if you qualify for Council Tax Support

Before applying, use the Entitled To benefits calculator to check if you qualify.

This will depend on:

• Your age
• Your family circumstances
• The money you have coming in
• Any benefits you get
• Any savings you have
• The total of your Council Tax bill.

Working-age and pension-age rules

There are two sets of rules for Council Tax Support.

1. Working age: We set the rules for those who are of working age.
2. Pension age: The Government sets the rules for those who are of State Pension age. Even if you are of State Pension age, the working age rules will apply if you or your partner get:

• Universal Credit
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA)
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
• Income Support
  

Protected groups

If you are of working age, the help that you can get depends on whether you are in a "protected group".

You are in a protected group if:

• You (or your partner) have a child under the age of five living with you.
• You (or your partner) receive a war disablement pension, war widow’s pension or war widower’s pension.
• You (or your partner) are disabled*
• You (or your partner) have a disabled child who lives with you.

If you're in a protected group, you could reduce your Council Tax bill to zero. If not, you may still be able to reduce your bill by up to 75 per cent.

*To qualify as disabled, you must meet one of the following:

• Receive a disability benefit (Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, Incapacity Benefit or the disabled element of Working Tax Credit)
• Receive Employment and Support Allowance, with the support or work-related component
• Receive the Limited Capability for Work element of Universal Credit
• Registered blind.

More information

View the full details of our  Council Tax Support Scheme 2025-2026 (PDF 2.4MB).