Council Tax Support

In April 2013, local Council Tax Support replaced a national system of Council Tax Benefit and Council Tax discounts, exemptions and reductions to support people who couldn’t afford to pay a full Council Tax bill. In 2013-14 each council was given a pot of money to share out between people who needed help, but the amount available for such support was cut by 10% in the process. Since 2014-15, there has been no separate allocation, and local councils have introduced their own Council Tax Reduction schemes, deciding which groups of people to help.

Some pensioners have been protected but many working age people on benefits have been affected by the change.

Appeals against a decision on Council Tax Reduction are made through the Valuation Tribunal, rather than through the independent Social Security and Child Support Tribunal (www.valuationtribunal.gov.uk).