Discretionary Council Tax Reduction Scheme

The Discretionary Council Tax Reduction Scheme (Council Tax Reduction) provides assistance to people who are finding it difficult to pay their council tax bill.

This could be due to low income or a particular change in circumstances:

• you could have lost your job and have no savings
• you may be receiving benefits but your Council Tax Support doesn't cover all your council tax bill
• You may be negatively affected by the Council Tax Support Tolerance Scheme

If you are in arrears or unable to keep up your payments you can apply for extra help.

Please note that we can't make reductions to cover:

• court costs
• recovery costs
• penalty charges

You'll need to provide the following evidence in support of your application:

• 2 months' bank statements for all accounts you hold
• household income and expenditure information
• details of any plans you have to improve your circumstances

Bank statements can be provided as:

• scanned copies or clear photographs of paper statements
• screenshots of online statements
• PDF downloads

We strongly suggest you gather the required information and documentation ahead of completing the form.

The form will time-out after 10 minutes. This 10 minute time-out is for each page, not for the entire form. It's not possible to save a partially completed form, nor to retrieve information if the time-out period is reached.

You should prepare a detailed summary of your household income and expenditure before starting the form, as this information is required for all applications.

Apply for a Discretionary Payment

The form can be completed by:

• the bill payer
• the person liable to pay the council tax
• someone who's been nominated to act on their behalf

If you have any queries or concerns with the completion of your Discretionary Council Tax Reduction application, you can contact our Benefits Team to arrange an appointment to discuss the application in detail. If necessary an in-person appointment can be arranged at West Offices.

We may ask for additional information or evidence if necessary.

Discretionary Council Tax Reduction decisions

We consider each application on its individual merits and we base our decision on your council tax bill after any deductions, such as:

• discounts
• exemptions
• reductions for disabilities

Find out how we consider your circumstances when making Discretionary Council Tax Reduction Scheme award decisions.

Debt advice and assistance

Advice and support are available for residents who are struggling with money and paying bills.

The Money Helper have up to date information and guidance about your money.

Make sure you’re getting all the help available. Use a free independent benefits calculator to find out what benefits you could get, how to claim and how your benefits will be affected if your circumstances change.

You can also get advice and support from local services working across the city.

See more information about how to get help managing your money and appointing a third party to act on your behalf.

Also see

• Benefits
• Council tax discounts and exemptions
• Council tax arrears