Council Tax Benefit

Help with your Council Tax

There are two different types of benefit available for people who have to pay Council Tax. They are Council Tax Benefit and Second Adult Rebate.

Which benefit can I claim?

You cannot get both Council Tax Benefit and Second Adult Rebate at the same time. If you qualify for both, we will give you the one that will reduce your Council Tax bill the most.

Can I claim Council Tax Benefit?

You can claim Council Tax Benefit if you are the person (or one of the persons) who is responsible for paying the Council Tax for the property you live in and:

• You are getting Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance (income based) or Guarantee element of Pension Credit
• You have a low income. This includes people who are self-employed.

If you get Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance (Income Based) or Guarantee element of Pension Credit you will get the full amount of your eligible Council Tax as benefit after any discounts or non-dependant deductions have been taken off.

You cannot get Council Tax Benefit if: 

• You are not directly responsible for paying the Council Tax, but if you pay rent for your home, which includes a charge for Council Tax, this will be included in any Housing Benefit, which you get. 
• You (or your partner) have capital or savings of £16,000 or more, unless this includes one or more of the special payments made to people who were imprisoned by the Japanese during World War II or worked as slaves and forced labourers under the Nazi regime during World War II or you are in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee.
• Most full-time students who live alone cannot claim Council Tax Benefit because their home will be exempt from Council Tax. But you may be able to claim if your partner is a full-time student and you are not. Please also see the section What if I am a Student?

Benefit is calculated by comparing your household and personal circumstances with your income and savings/capital. We also have to take into account any other adults who live with you.  If you wish to make a claim for benefit please refer to the section on 'Applying for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit'. 

If you are not sure whether you could claim or not, please contact the Benefits Section for further information, by e-mailing the Benefits Section at benefits@easthants.gov.uk.  Please quote the following information in your e-mail.

• You and your partners (if applicable) full name
• The full postal address of the property you wish to claim for
• A contact telephone number although not a requirement would be useful should we need to contact you direct

If you have been awarded Council Tax Benefit, but it is less than your eligible Council Tax, and you are in financial difficulty, you may be entitled to some extra help by making a claim for a Discretionary Housing Payment.

You must still pay your Council Tax while you are waiting for a claim for Council Tax Benefit or Second Adult Rebate to be processed.

How will your benefit be paid?

For further information on whether you may qualify for a Council Tax discount or if you may be exempt from paying the Council Tax please follow this link.

To see if you might qualify for Council Tax Benefit why not try our Benefits Calculator

If you do not agree with the decision that has been made on your claim please refer to our leaflet  ' What do I do if I disagree with the Council’s decision about my benefit?'.

Leaflets

The following leaflets have been created as part of the National Leaflet Project, they give general advice and guidance about Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit.

They are available in 11 different languages and if you require any of these leaflest in Braille or Large Print please let the Benefit Section at East Hampshire know.

Help with Rent and Council Tax for Pensioners

Help with Rent and Council Tax for People of Working Age

A guide to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for Students

Our contact details