Council Tax
2. Can I claim Council Tax Benefit?
If you get the guarantee credit part of Pension Credit you will get all your Council Tax paid, though you still have to put in a claim.
But many people who don’t get guarantee credit can also get their Council Tax reduced or paid in full.
You can get all your Council Tax paid if:
- you are 65 or more and have a weekly income of less than £143.80 if you are single or £215.50 between you if you are a couple; or
- you are aged 60–64 and have a weekly income of less than £124.05 if you are single or £189.35 between you if you are a couple.
However, if you don't get the guarantee credit part of Pension Credit, then you can't get Council Tax Benefit if your savings are more than £16,000.
Carers can get all their Council Tax paid even if their income is £27.75 more than these amounts. People who are severely disabled may get all their Council Tax paid even if their income is £50.35 higher.
If your income is higher than these amounts you may still get some of your Council Tax paid. For example, if your full Council Tax is £1,400 a year and you are aged 65 or more, you can get some help with it if your income is up to £244 per week for a single person or up to £349 per week if you live as a couple. If your Council Tax is more than this, you may still get some help even if you have a higher income than that. So it is always worth checking.