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Home Page > Advice and benefits > Council tax > Council Tax Benefit > Claiming Council Tax Benefit
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COUNCIL TAX Benefit

 

How can I claim Council Tax Benefit?

 

To claim Council Tax Benefit you must complete an application form.  The form is quite long and asks for a lot of information.  Please take the time to read ALL the notes on the form to make sure you complete it correctly.  You will also need to provide sight of all original documents to support your claim in respect of you and your partners (if applicable) Identity and National Insurance number as well as all other entries made on your application . 

 

If you don’t complete it correctly it can delay the processing of your claim.  Claims will normally start from the Monday after we receive them.  Therefore do not delay in handing in your application just because you cannot provide all the supporting evidence. 

 

If you have recently applied for Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance, Pension Credits or Employment Support Allowance  the Department of Work and Pensions should have already helped you make an application for Housing and/or Council Tax Benefit.  If this is the case you do not need to complete another application with the Council as they should forward this on to us. 

 

If you want to claim both Housing and Council Tax Benefit you only need to complete one application form. You can request / obtain an application form by

  1. Telephoning our Customer Services on 01664 502502
  2. Emailing our Customer Services on customerservices@melton.gov.uk

If you are unable to complete the application form yourself we can arrange for someone to help you in your home. 

 

Who can claim Council Tax Benefit?

 

You or your partner (if applicable) can claim if you are on a low income and have to pay Council Tax on the home you live in.

 

For example if you or your partner work full time, part time or are self-employed and get a low wage or if you or your partner receive any other State Benefits.

 

You cannot make a claim if you or your partner have savings of more than £16,000.  However if you or your partner are age  60  or over and receive Pension Credit (Guarantee element) you will still be eligible to make a claim.

 

Who cannot / may not be able to claim Council Tax Benefit?

 

You cannot get Council Tax Benefit if

  1. You are not liable to pay Council Tax
  2. You do not live in the property you are claiming for
  3. You or your partner have savings of more than £16,000.  However if you or your partner are age  60  or over and receive Pension Credit (Guarantee element) you will still be eligible to make a claim.  
  4. You live in a care home, such as a nursing or elderly person's home

You may not get Council Tax Benefit if

  1. You are temporarily living away from your usual home
  2. You have recently come to live in the United Kingdom

If you do not qualify for Council Tax Benefit in your own right but you have another adult (other than your partner) living with you who is on a low income you may be able to claim Second Adult Rebate. 

 

A partner is someone you are married to, or someone you live with as if you are married to him or her, with the introduction of the Civil Partnership Act this also now includes same sex couples.

 

How will Council Tax Benefit be paid?

 

Once you have supplied all the necessary information to support your Council Tax Benefit claim and we have processed your application we will write to let you know how much you have been awarded and how we have worked that amount out.

 

We will automatically credit your Council Tax account with the total amount of entitlement from the start of your claim to the end of the current financial year. You should then receive a new Council Tax bill showing you the revised amount payable

 

How will any overpaid Council Tax Benefit be recovered?

 

Once a decision has been made and Council Tax Benefit has been awarded the total amount of entitlement from the start of your claim to the end of the current financial year is posted directly onto your Council Tax account. 

 

If during the life of your claim you have a change in your circumstances and the result of the change leads to a reduction in your entitlement an overpayment is created. This means your Council Tax account will have been credited with too much Council Tax Benefit.

 

Any amount that has been overpaid is usually automatically recovered directly from your Council Tax account. You should then receive a new Council Tax bill showing you the revised amount payable.

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