Council tax Council Tax Support if you get Universal Credit

How changes in the amount of Universal Credit you get can affect your Council Tax Support

If you are working-age the most help that you can get from Council Tax Support is 82.5% of the council tax bill, leaving you at least 17.5% to pay. You may have to pay more - it depends how much Universal Credit and additional income you get.

If your Universal Credit changes, the amount you have to pay towards your council tax bill may change as well.

But small changes in Universal Credit only affect how much you have to pay if you move into a different income band. Your council tax direct debit or payment plan only change if your income band changes, making it easier for you to manage your council tax payments.

The table shows the income bands and how much support you will get towards your council tax. If other people live with you who are expected to pay towards the council tax, you will get less than the amount in the table.

To work out your Council Tax Support, we count your Universal Credit award (before any reductions, other than the benefit cap), plus any unearned income, and net earned income.

Income band Band rate (weekly figures) Amount of Council Tax Support available
1 £0 over your applicable amount* Support for 82.5% of council tax
2 £0.01 - £25 over applicable amount Support for 70 % of council tax
3 £25.01 - £50 over applicable amount Support for 45 % of council tax
4 £50.01 - £75 over applicable amount Support for 30% of council tax
5 £75.01 - £80 over applicable amount Support for 12% of council tax
6 £80.01+ over applicable amount No support for council tax

* For Council Tax Support for Universal Credit claimants, this is the same as your maximum Universal Credit award

Example - A customer's weekly income is their maximum Universal Credit award of £200 (including the housing element) and earned income (net) of £65. As their weekly income is £265 (£65 above their applicable amount - Band 4), they would receive 30% of their bill in Council Tax Support. If they then got made redundant, they would be in Band 1 and would receive 82.5% of their bill in Council Tax Support.

If Council Tax Support ends because of Universal Credit changes

Universal Credit can end altogether, or the amount you get can increase temporarily. Changes like these can cause your Council Tax Support to end.

If you reclaim Council Tax Support after a change in Universal Credit, as long as you qualify again for Council Tax Support, we will pay from the Monday after your Universal Credit restarted.

If you are late in making your Council Tax Support reclaim, we will go back and pay for a period of up to six months. 

To tell us that you are back on Universal Credit or that your Universal Credit has gone down again, fill in a Council Tax Support claim as soon as possible. We will check if you are entitled to Council Tax Support and when we can pay you from.

Read the Council Tax Support policy in full

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