Our new Council Tax Reduction Scheme 2022 - 2023 frequently asked questions
We have created these frequently asked questions to help you understand any changes to the council tax support you receive from April 2022.
If you have any questions that are not listed below, please email customer.services@southderbyshire.gov.uk.
I used to receive help because I am single and my adult child lives with me, who is on a low income. Why have I not received this money off my council tax bill this year?
If you are of working age, you can claim council tax support based on your own income, savings and needs allowances.
You can however no longer claim second adult rebate, based on the low income of someone else who lives in your household.
If you are pension age, or become pension age, you can continue to claim second adult rebate.
I have started to receive Universal Credit but I have not been asked to make a claim for CTRS. How do I do this?
If you have received your first payment details of Universal Credit, the DWP will send us this information. It usually provides us with enough information to process your entitlement to council tax support. If we need further information, we will ask you for it. If you have not received an award of Universal Credit and would like to apply for council tax support, please complete our claim form.
I receive Universal Credit but I have not received any Council Tax Support
We can only process your claim when we receive details of your Universal Credit award which is when you receive details of your first payment.
My Universal Credit started before 1 April 2022, will I need to make a claim for council tax support?
Yes you will. Our regulations began to allow a new award of Universal Credit to be treated as a claim for council tax support with effect from 1 April 2022, so anything before this date requires a claim to be submitted. Please complete our claim form.
The amount I have to pay towards my council tax has reduced and I am getting more council tax support. Why is this?
There are three main reasons you may be getting a difference to your award:
- Council tax costs have increased this year so your support is based on a higher charge than last year.
- People on the lowest incomes no longer have 8.5% or 10% automatically deducted from their award. Instead, those on the lowest incomes may receive up to 100% support, with the amount of support decreasing as income increases.
- Non-dependant charges have changed. If you have a non-dependant who is earning, you may have had to pay £8.30, £10.40 or £12.45 per week towards your council tax. This non-dependant deduction has now changed to £5 per week for all non-dependants
You have deducted £5 per week from my council tax support. Why is this?
You have a non-dependant in your household, such as a family friend or relative. From 1 April 2022 we have decided to make a deduction of £5 per week from your council tax support because this other adult lives with you. The deduction is £5 in all cases, regardless of their income
I see from the changes you have made that you will be taking £5 from the council tax support award if there is a non-dependant in the household. I am classed as disabled and receive disability benefits for care. Will I have to pay this £5?
A non-dependant deduction does not apply where the applicant and/or their partner receive:
- personal independence payment (PIP) - daily living component.
- disability living allowance (DLA) - care component.
- attendance allowance.
- armed forces independence payment.
Why will you not pay awards that are below £1 a week?
It costs the council to produce letters, bills and generally administer claims and where the award is for a small amount, the costs exceed the value of the award.
I do not understand the new income bands. Can you explain them to me please?
The income bands represent the amount of income that you have over and above your needs allowance.
We have not changed the way that we work out your income, savings or needs allowances.
If you are in receipt of Income Support, Employment and Support Allowance income related or Jobseekers’ Allowance income based, you will be in the lowest band and your claim will be based on 100% of your council tax charge. Your support may still be reduced if you have a non-dependant living with you.
If you income is more than £5 above your needs allowance, your support will be reduced to 90% or less as shown in the table we have published.
What is the purpose of the new income bands?
Under our old scheme, if someone’s income varied by just a few pence, we had to re-calculate their claim and issue new details and bills. This was not only costly but also the customer was faced with constant changes to the amount of council tax they needed to pay. The income bands mean that someone’s income can vary by up to £15 per week (or £65 a month) and if they stay in the same income band, their support will remain the same. We want to provide greater stability for people to be able to handle their finances.
I want to read more detail on the changes you have made. Where can I find this?
Our regulations for 2022/23 will be published on our website by 11 March 2022.
The amount of council tax support I receive this year has reduced a lot. What can I do about this?
Our changes were designed so that the majority of recipients did not see a big change to their support. However, we are aware that this would happen in some cases.
To help people adjust to the new regulations, we have a discretionary fund available to help those facing a significant reduction to their council tax support, you will be able to make a claim form the Discretionary Fund from 1 April 2022.
Find out how to apply for a discretionary payment on or after 1 April 2022 to submit a claim.