How much Council Tax Benefit can I get?
You may be able to get Council Tax Benefit for the full amount
of Council Tax that you have to pay. This will depend on your
income and whether you have other people living in your house.
What happens if there are other people living with me?
If you have friends, relatives or anyone over 18 living in your
home, you may get less Council Tax Benefit. These people are called
non-dependants. An amount may be taken out of your benefit for each
non-dependant who lives in your home.
Non-dependants do not include:
- your partner;
- a child you get Child Benefit for;
- people under 18 years old;
- people in full time education;
- people on Youth Training Schemes.
No money will be taken out of your benefit for non-dependants
if:
- you get Attendance Allowance;
- you get the care part of Disability Living Allowance;
- you are registered blind.
How is my Council Tax Benefit worked out?
If you get Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance or Guarantee
Credit you will get the full amount of your Council Tax as benefit
after any non-dependant deductions have been taken off.
If you do not get Income Support or Job Seekers Allowance
(income based) or Guarantee Credit we will work out your
Council Tax Benefit by comparing the money you get each week with
your 'applicable amount'. Your applicable amount is what the
government say you and your family need to live on each week. The
applicable amount will be higher for some people - for example, if
you are disabled or you are a lone parent.
If the money you get each week is less than, or the same as the
applicable amount, you will get the full amount of Council Tax
Benefit. If this happens you should claim Income Support or Job
Seekers Allowance as you may get more help.
What money is counted when my benefit is worked out?
We count the money you earn from work after money has been taken
out for:
- tax;
- National Insurance;
- half of any money you pay into a pension fund.
Some earnings are not counted, including:
- the first £5.00 of the money you earn each week, if you are
single;
- the first £10.00 of the money you earn each week, if you are a
couple;
- the first £20.00 of the money you earn each week if you are
registered disabled, certain carers, and employed in special
occupations eg members of the Territorial Army;
- the first £25.00 of the money you earn each week, if you are
a lone parent.
We also count any other money you have coming in. This includes
most social security benefits, maintenance, pensions and any
savings you have. We do not count:
- Disability Living Allowance.
- Attendance Allowance.
- Mobility Allowance.
- War Widows Pension.
- War Disablement Pension.
- Child maintenance payments.
- Child Benefit.
But we need to know if you get any of these, as you may get more
Council Tax Benefit.
What happens if I have savings or capital?
Government rules say that if you (and your partner if you are a
couple) have savings or capital of more than £16,000, you cannot
get Council Tax Benefit. If you have £6,000 or less, it will not
affect your claim. For pensioners the amount disregarded is
£10,000.
If you have between £6,000 and £16,000, it affects how much
Council Tax Benefit you will get. For every £250 (or part of £250)
you have over £6,000, we add £1.00 to the money we count each week
when working out your benefit. If you or your partner are
pensioners, we only count on savings over £10,000, and for every
£500 (or part of £500) you have over £10,000, we add £1 to the
money we count each week.
Can I appeal?
You can appeal if you think your Council Tax Benefit is
incorrect. Follow this link to find
out what to do if you think our decision about your
benefit is wrong.
Help and advice
For general questions or advice or if you need a home
visit because of age, disability or other circumstances
please call us on 01394 444838 or email
benefits@suffolkcoastal.gov.uk.
You can also get help and information by visiting
our offices in Woodbridge and Felixstowe.
For free independent help and advice on Housing and Council
Tax Benefit contact your local Citizen's Advice Bureau.
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