If you are responsible for paying the Council Tax, and are on a low income, you may be entitled to a reduction in the amount you have to pay.
The Government has set the rules we must use to calculate Local Council Tax Support (CTS) for applicants of pension credit age. The support is means tested, which means we will look at your household income and circumstances to decide how much support you will get.
If you have more than £16,000 in savings, you will not be entitled to Local Council Tax Support.
To find out if you may qualify use our online calculator in Related Content. You can claim by downloading a claim form from Related Content or phoning 01702 318197 or 01702 318198.
Changes in circumstances
If you are claiming CTS and have a change in your circumstances, you must tell us immediately. This is, so we can make sure you continue to get the correct amount of CTS. Examples of the sort of changes you must report include:
- address
- income
- savings
- people living in your home
Failure to tell the Revenues and Benefits section within 21 days of any change that could affect your liability, or any of the reductions you receive, could result in a penalty of £70 or a prosecution. You will also have to pay back any amount incorrectly claimed.
To tell us about a change please email revenues&benefits@rochford.gov.uk
Exceptional Hardship Payment
If you are getting Local Council Tax Support cannot afford your Council Tax and are suffering severe financial hardship, we may be able to give you some extra help. Exceptional Hardship Payments (EHPs) are not payments of CTS, but are standalone payments made entirely at the discretion of the Council. To read our policy on Exceptional Hardship Payments or to complete an application form see Related Content.
Challenging decisions
If you disagree with a decision, we have made about your CTS you can write to us at any time and ask us to look at it again. We will write to you with our reply within two months.
If you are still unhappy with our decision you have a further two months to appeal direct to The Valuation Tribunal. This is an independent organisation who will decide if our decision should be
Housing Benefit
If you are on a low income and pay rent for your home, you may also be entitled to Housing Benefit. For more information, please visit our Benefits page.