Council Tax Support

Banded Income Scheme for people who get Universal Credit from 1 April 2025

1. If you, your partner and/or dependant child receive a qualifying disability benefit, 86% your Council Tax will be paid for by Council Tax Support (CTS) (after any discounts and weekly non-dependant deductions if applicable) 
2. If you or your partner get maximum UC, 50% of your Council Tax will be paid for by CTS (after any discounts and weekly non-dependant deductions if applicable). The amount of entitlement will be restricted to the Council Tax set on a band D property. This means that for people living in homes banded E or above for Council Tax, entitlement will be worked out as if they lived in a Band D property.
3. If points 1 or 2 do not apply, we will only look at your and your partner’s net earned income from employment and self-employment and will place you in a category based on your household make-up.
4. The level of CTS awarded is dependent on the band into which the claimant falls.

For more information download the guide to the Council Tax Support scheme 2025.

Non-dependant deductions

A non-dependant is an adult who lives in your household but is not your partner. A deduction is taken from your CTS entitlement for each non-dependant with some exceptions. No deduction is applied if you or your partner receives Disability Living Allowance Care Component or the Daily Living element of Personal Independence Payment. 

Students are exempt from non-dependant deductions.

• If we have received proof that a non-dependant is not working, in receipt of an out of work benefit or work and earns less than £144 per week (before tax and National Insurance), we will deduct £4.50 per week from your CTS entitlement.
• If we have not received proof of a non-dependant’s income or have proof that they are working and earning more than £144 (before tax and National Insurance), we will deduct £17.75 per week from your CTS entitlement.

Department for Work and Pensions UC notifications

If we are notified by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that you are receiving UC, we will also start a claim for you for Council Tax Support if you meet the criteria. This means most working age people won’t have to make a separate claim for CTS.

If we are not notified that you are receiving UC, we will not automatically start a claim for you for Council Tax Support.

Please note that if you and/or your partner are self-employed or work for an employer, the council will use the earnings figure used by DWP in the assessment of your UC. This figure will be used to work out your entitlement to CTS. If you think DWP has made a mistake with your income, please contact them about your UC assessment.

If we haven’t contacted you about a Council Tax Support claim within a month of your Universal Credit claim starting, you should check our online calculator to see if you might be entitled to Council Tax Support

If the calculator shows you could be entitled to Council Tax Support, you should make a claim online.