Pendle Borough Council
Market Street, Nelson, Lancashire BB9 7LG
Tel: 01282 661661 Fax: 01282 661130
Council Tax Benefit
Information on Council Tax Benefit and how to claim
What is Council Tax Benefit?
Council Tax Benefit is a social security benefit paid by the council to help people who have a low income pay their Council Tax.
Who can claim?
Anyone who has to pay council tax and has a low income can claim Council Tax Benefit. It does not matter if you own your own home or live in rented accommodation, you can still claim.
How to claim
You must complete a claim form. You can get a form from the Benefits Section, Council Shops or District Offices.
When you get a claim form you will be told what information and evidence that you need to give us to support your claim. If you are claiming housing benefit as well you only need to fill in one form. You will be asked to give us proof of your identity, income, capital and details of anyone else who lives with you. We can only accept original documents as proof of these things. We cannot accept copies.
Please do not be put off from claiming. We have a team of Benefit Advisors to help you. We can help you fill in the form and we will tell you what else you need to do. We may also be able to help you get the proof that you need. If you are unable to get out easily we can send a Visiting Officer to your home to help you with the form and get the information that we need.
You can help us deal with your claim quickly by:
- answering all the questions on the claim form
- sending us your form straight away
- giving us proof of all your details as soon as possible
- replying straight away if we ask you for any more information
- contacting us quickly if there is something that you do not understand
How much will I get?
This will depend on:
- how much your council tax is
- how much income and capital you have
- your personal circumstances
- the income and circumstances of anyone who lives with you
You can check whether you may be entitled to any Benefit, by using our online Benefits Calculator .
Council Tax
Your Council Tax Benefit will usually be based on the amount of Council Tax that you are charged.
If you are jointly liable for Council Tax with someone other than your partner, your Council Tax Benefit will be based upon your share of the bill.
Income and Capital
The amount of Council Tax Benefit that you will get will also depend upon the amount of income and capital that you have.
If you have capital or assets with a total value of over £16,000 you will not normally get Council Tax Benefit. Capital includes savings, shares and investments and other property that you own. However, certain types of capital are ignored so if in doubt, please ask for more information.
Income includes:
- wages after deducting tax, National Insurance and half of any pension scheme contributions
- self-employed earnings
- most benefits, such as Working Family Tax Credit, State Retirement Pension, Incapacity Benefit and Child Benefit
- other money coming in such as maintenance and occupational pensions
There are certain types of income that are ignored, some in part and some in full. You may also get some of your income ignored if you pay child-care costs.
Your Personal Circumstances
When we have worked out your income we will compare it to what is called an applicable amount. Your applicable amount is made up of allowances and premiums that are decided by the Government. It is worked out by looking at your age and personal circumstances, for example if you get certain disability benefits, you will get extra amounts. You will also get allowances for any partners or dependants that live with you.
Other people who live with you
We will look at the circumstances and income of other people who live with you when working out your Council Tax Benefit. Another person who lives with you, who is not a partner or a dependent, is called a non-dependant. We may reduce your Council Tax Benefit by a set amount if you have someone living with you who is over 18.
The amount will depend on your personal circumstances and the circumstances and income of the non-dependant. For example, we will not reduce your benefit if you get Attendance Allowance or if the non-dependant is a full time student.
If you want more information about non-dependants and the deductions that we make, please contact the Benefits Section.
What happens next?
When we have looked at all the information and evidence we need to decide your claim we will write to you to tell you if you qualify. We will explain how we have worked out your benefit and how much you will get.
If you do not agree with our decision or you think that we have done something wrong, we will tell you what you need to do.
How is it paid?
Your council tax benefit will be transferred to your council tax account and your bill will be reduced. You will not receive any money but you will have less to pay. However, if you have already paid your council tax you will be entitled to a refund. This will happen automatically.
Further Information and Advice
There are a lot of complicated rules about Council Tax Benefit. We have a team of Benefit Advisors that are here to advise you and help you claim. If in doubt, please contact us.
Benefits Section
Elliott House
9 Market Square
Nelson
Lancs
BB9 0LX
Tel: (01282) 661800 or (01282) 661837
Fax: (01282) 661811
Independent Advice
If you prefer, you can ask for independent advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau or the Welfare Rights Service. Their addresses and telephone numbers are shown below.
Citizens Advice Bureaux
Broadway,
Nelson
Tel: (01282) 616750
Colne Citadel, Market Place, Colne
Tel: (01282) 867188
Old Police Station,
Manchester Road,
Barnoldswick
Tel: (01282) 814814
Lancashire Welfare Rights Service
19 Carr Road,
Nelson,
Lancs
Tel: (01282) 661333
