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Who can apply

If you are on a low income, you can apply for Council Tax Support to reduce the amount of Council Tax you need to pay. If you are on Universal Credit, you should still apply for Council Tax Support as these are separate schemes.

You can apply for Council Tax Support if all of the following applies:

  1. You are liable for Council Tax
  2. You are on a low income 
  3. You or your partner have savings or assets of less than £16,000

Savings and assets can include:

  • cash savings
  • savings in banks, building societies or the Post Office
  • money in current accounts
  • Individual Savings Accounts (ISAs)
  • premium bonds and income bonds
  • National Savings Certificates
  • lump sums such as redundancy payments, insurance payments and back payments of Social Security benefits
  • tax refunds
  • money invested in a business and business assets
  • property, such as a house you own but don't live in
  • money you have borrowed

If you receive Pension Guarantee Credit, the £16,000 limit does not apply.

How to apply

Before you begin your application you will need to know: 

  • what benefits you already receive 
  • how much you earn or receive in pensions 
  • your National Insurance number 
  • details of members of your household, for example their dates of birth and income 

You can save your form and return to it later. Take a note of the reference number and password that are displayed when you select ‘save’.  If you provide your email address, we will send these details to you directly.  

Apply for Council Tax Support 

Help with your application 

Call us on 020 7974 4444 if you: 

  • need help to apply 
  • think you should pay a different amount 
  • need help to understand your Council Tax Support letter  

You can also make an appointment to speak to someone in person.  

Our partners can also provide impartial advice including: 

How support is calculated for pension age adults

If you are of pension age your Council Tax Support is worked out according to requirements made by the government, with one exception.  In Camden, War Disablement, War Widows and War Widowers Pensions are disregarded in full instead of having only £10 disregarded as required by central government.   

How support is calculated for working age adults

For working age applicants, the level of Council Tax Support you receive is based on how much you and your partner, if applicable, earn. 

The levels of Council Tax Support are also different depending on whether:  

  • you have children or young adults living in your household and their ages 
  • you're disabled or you're a carer 

If the amount you earn changes, your Council Tax Support stays the same unless you move to a new income band. 

The Income Bands are based on the London Living Wage. They will increase as the London Living Wage increases. 

Income bands 

If you are not working or earn less than £95.60 a week, you will not have to pay Council Tax. 

If you earn more than that amount, the following income bands apply. You will not receive Council Tax Support if you earn above the top income band. 

If you do not have children and earn between:

  • £95.60 and £191.19 per week: You get 55% off your bill 
  • £191.20 and £430.19 per week: You get 35% off your bill 

If you have children and earn between:

  • £95.60 and £191.19 per week: You get 65% off your bill 
  • £191.20 and £430.19 per week: You get 45% off your bill 
  • £430.20 and £473.21 per week: You get 30% off your bill 
  • £473.22 and £537.75 per week: You get 15% off your bill 

If you are disabled or a carer, you or your partner must receive the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment, the care component of Disability Living Allowance, or Carer's Allowance.

If you earn between: 

  • £95.60 and £191.19 per week: You get 85% off your bill 
  • £191.20 and £430.19 per week: You get 55% off your bill 
  • £430.20 and £473.21 per week: You get 45% off your bill 
  • £473.22 and £537.75 per week: You get 30% off your bill 

Calculating your earnings 

Earnings are based on the gross payment before tax, National Insurance and Pension deductions are taken. 

If you pay for childcare, your childcare costs can be deducted from your earnings. We do not count any military compensation payments as earnings. 

Non-dependant deductions 

If you live with anyone over 25 who is not your partner and that person (who is called a non-dependant) earns more than £95.60 per week, your Council Tax Support will be reduced by 30% of your Council Tax liability (calculated before any Council Tax Support is awarded) for each person. Couples are treated as one. 

Support and childcare costs

If you pay for childcare, let us know when applying for Council Tax Support. We can deduct these costs from your earnings when we calculate any discount you may receive.

To have childcare costs factored into your Council Tax Support, you must be either:

  • a lone parent who works 16 hours a week or more
  • a couple who both work 16 hours a week or more
  • a couple where one of you works at least 16 hours a week or more, and the other is physically or mentally unable to work, is in hospital or in prison

Your child or children must be either:

  • with a registered childminder, nursery or playscheme
  • with a childminding scheme where registration is not required, for example if run by a school or local authority
  • with childcare that is approved for working tax credit purposes
  • aged 8 or over and attending an out of school hours scheme provided by a school, on school premises, or provided by a local authority
  • Your child must be aged below 15 years old to qualify, or below 16 years old if they are disabled.

We can deduct childcare costs of up to £175 per week if you have one child, or up to £300 per week if you have 2 or more children.

Backdated support 

Council Tax Support is usually awarded from the Monday after we receive your application. 

Pension age

If you are of pension age, we will backdate your Council Tax Support for up to three months as long as you were entitled during that time.  You do not have to have good cause for the delay in making your application.  

Working age

If you are of working age and receive the maximum amount of Universal Credit, or another relevant benefit, we can backdate your Council Tax Support to the start of your Universal Credit maximum amount or the other benefit. 

If you are of working age and do not receive the maximum amount of Universal Credit, or another relevant benefit, we can backdate your Council Tax Support for up to one month.  You would need to have good cause for the delay in making your application.  

Change of circumstances 

If your income or living situation changes tell us about your change of circumstances.