Apply for Council Tax Reduction if you're having difficulty paying

You may be able to claim Council Tax Reduction if you are on a low income or claiming benefits.

Your bill could be reduced by up to 100%.

You can apply whether:

• you own or rent your home
• you are employed or unemployed

The amount you may be able to claim depends on:

• your personal circumstances, for example:
  • the number of people in your household
  • your residency status
• your total household income, for example:
  • how much you earn
  • benefits you receive
  • savings you have
  • payments from a pension
  • your partner’s income
• if your children live with you
• if other adults live with you

You can check your eligibility on our Benefits Portal.

You can use online application form below to:

• start a new claim
• retrieve a claim that you have already started

Read our full Council Tax Reduction Scheme Policy 2024 to 2025.

If you need more support, we may be able to make a one-off payment into your Council Tax account. This is called discretionary help.

To be eligible for discretionary help, you should already have claimed, or be in receipt of Council Tax Reduction, if you are eligible.

In exceptional circumstances we can make discretionary payments if you do not qualify for Council Tax Reduction.

You will need to provide evidence when you apply:

Apply for discretionary help online.

Read the policy documents:

• Council Tax Reduction discretionary award policy (PDF, 180 KB)
• Council Tax discretionary discount policy (PDF, 250 KB)

View our cost of living pages for more help.

You can also:

• check if you are eligible for a council tax discount or exemption
• ask us if you can have longer to pay your Council Tax and pay your yearly bill over 12 months instead of 10

If you are finding it difficult to pay your Council Tax, the Debt Respite Scheme (Breathing Space) can help you manage your debt and get more time to pay your bills.