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Council Tax Reduction (England)

Local councils (England)

Description

A means-tested reduction — up to 100% — in a household's Council Tax bill for people on a low income or certain benefits. Unlike Scotland and Wales, England has no single national scheme: since 2013, every one of England's councils runs its own Local Council Tax Support scheme within a loose national framework, so maximum support, income thresholds, and whether working-age claimants can ever get 100% support vary significantly by council. Pension-age claimants are more protected nationally — anyone receiving the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit is entitled to up to 100% support under rules that are more standardised across councils than the working-age schemes.

Amount

Up to 100% of your Council Tax bill, though the maximum support and income thresholds vary significantly by council — pension-age claimants on Guarantee Credit are entitled to up to 100% support under more standardised national rules; working-age schemes are set locally.

Deadline

Rolling / no fixed deadline

Eligibility summary

  • Available in: England.
  • Open to individuals — not restricted to businesses.
  • Relevant income bands: earning under the Personal Allowance.
Notes
This is the domestic, individual-household scheme — distinct from business rates relief (e.g. Small Business Rates Relief, covered elsewhere in this directory) and from the Council Tax Disabled Band Reduction Scheme (a different, non-means-tested reduction for adapted properties, also covered separately). Many council-specific Crisis and Resilience Fund entries elsewhere in this directory reference 'Council Tax Support' recipients as an eligibility route or automatic-payment trigger for local crisis schemes — this entry is the underlying scheme itself. Because every council runs its own version, always check the specific council's own website for current thresholds rather than assuming a figure from another council applies.
Requirement
Liable to pay Council Tax on your main home, with a low income (from benefits, work, or self-employment) and typically limited savings — exact income/savings thresholds are set independently by each council rather than nationally.

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How to apply

Apply via gov.uk's postcode-based tool (gov.uk/apply-council-tax-reduction), which routes you to your own council's application. If you already claim Universal Credit, many councils will start a Council Tax Reduction claim alongside it automatically — check with your council either way.

View official source

Other areas' version of this scheme

Council Tax Reduction (England) is run locally — here's the same scheme in other areas.

Grant

Council Tax Reduction (Scotland)

Local councils (Scotland), under a national scheme set by the Scottish Government

A means-tested reduction — up to 100% — in a household's Council Tax bill for people on a low income, run under a single national framework set by the Scottish Government (unlike England, where each council sets its own scheme). Administered locally by each council but with consistent national eligibility rules. Recipients typically save around £750 a year on average, and can also get up to 35% off water and waste charges alongside the Council Tax reduction itself.

Up to 100% of your Council Tax bill; average saving is around £750 a year. Can also reduce water and waste charges by up to 35% for recipients.Rolling / no fixed deadlineScotland

Last verified: 23 August 2026. See the footer disclaimer — this is general information, not financial or tax advice.