The Pioneers statue celebrates the canal builders who founded Ellesmere Port and was cast in bronze by Liverpool artist Stephen Broadbent.
What help can I get to pay my Council Tax?
There are two types of Council Tax Benefit.
This section tells you how to claim them.
Which can I claim?
Council Tax Benefit
You can claim Council Tax Benefit if you are:
For example, you might only get a retirement pension or be getting other social security benefits, like Incapacity Benefit.
But, you cannot get Council Tax Benefit if:
But there are some exceptions.
Please see the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for students page for more information.
Second Adult Rebate
Second Adult Rebate is another way to help you pay less Council Tax. It is not based on the money you have, but on the money other people who live with you have. These people are called 'non-dependants'. A non-dependant could be someone like a relative or a friend. You may be able to get Second Adult Rebate if there are other people living in your home who are on a low income or Income Support. But, you cannot claim it if you are married or have a partner.
Please note:
You will need to make a claim for Second Adult Rebate, unless you have already claimed Council Tax Benefit. We will take account of the income of the second adult when deciding whether you can get Second Adult Rebate. The maximum amount that can be awarded is 25% of the Council Tax bill.
More information please click here about the Second Adult Rebate.
How Do I Claim?
Your Jobcentre Plus office will complete an Input Doc form and send it to us direct. Although we do advise you to contact us to check one has been received.
You can claim by filling in one of our claim forms and giving us the proof we need to assess your claim. You can get the claim form from us.
Please note:
What proof do I need to give you?
We need proof of your and your partner's National Insurance number, along with proof of the benefits you receive. We may also ask you to provide proof of identity for both of you. Our form tells you what you need to provide, but if you're not sure you can always contact us for help.
We need proof of your and your partner's National Insurance number, and we may also ask you to provide proof of identity for both of you. We also need to see proof of the following:
This means things like:
These are just a few examples. We really need to know about all the different kinds of income you get. If you're not sure, tell us anyway.
We also need to see proof of all your bank accounts, along with proof of any savings or investments you have. If you're not sure, tell us.
What if I haven't got all the proof you need?
You should send your claim form in anyway. Don't delay sending it in if the proof we ask for isn't available at the moment. You can send the information in later, but we cannot work out your benefit without it.
What should I do about my Council Tax bill while I'm waiting for you to work out my Council Tax Benefit?
You should try to pay the instalments. But, if you are not able to pay, please contact the Council Tax office for advice.
What happens if there are other people living with me?
If you have friends, relatives or anyone over 18 living in your home, you may get less Council Tax benefit. These people are called 'non-dependants'. We may take an amount out of your benefit for each non-dependant who lives in your home.
Non-dependants do not include:
We will not take any money out of your benefit for non-dependants if:
Please see 'How other people in your home affect your Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit' page for more information.
How much Council Tax Benefit can I get?
You may be able to get Council Tax Benefit for the full amount of Council Tax that you have to pay but this depends on your income and whether you have other people living in your house.
How is my Council Tax Benefit worked out?
You will get the full amount of your Council Tax as benefit after we have taken off deductions for your non-dependants.
We work out your Council Tax Benefit by comparing the money you get each week with your 'applicable amount'. Your applicable amount is what the Government says you and your family need to live on each week. The applicable amount will be higher for some people - for example, if you are disabled or if you are a one-parent family.
When we have worked out what money you get each week, if it's less than, or the same as, the applicable amount, you will get the full amount of Council Tax Benefit. If this happens, you should claim Income Support or Jobseeker's Allowance as you may get more help.
What money do you count when you work out my benefit?
We count any money you have coming in.
This includes things like:
We count the money you earn from work after money has been taken out for:
If you work we will need to see:
If you are self-employed, we usually want to see your recent accounts.
If you cannot provide them, get in touch with us for more advice.
We ignore some of your wages when we work out your benefit. We do not count the first:
If you work, you may find the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for people who work section useful.
Sometimes, we ignore different amounts from other types of income and benefits.
For example, we ignore the first £15 of any maintenance payments you receive if you have dependent children.
We also ignore things like:
These are just a few examples.
There is no fixed upper capital limit for pensioners on Pension Credit, although capital is taken into account. For more information contact the Pension Service on 0845 3000 168.
What happens if I have savings or investments?
That depends on how much you have.
Government rules say that if you, and your partner if you are a couple, have savings or investments of more than £16,000, you cannot get Council Tax Benefit.
If you or your partner are under 60 and have £6,000 or less, it will not affect your claim.
If you or your partner are under 60 and have between £6,000 and £16,000, it will affect how much Council Tax Benefit you will get.
For every £250 (or part of £250) you have over £6,000, we add £1 to the money we count each week when working out your benefit. This is called 'tariff income'.
If you or your partner are over 60 and have £6,000 or less, it will not affect your claim.
If you or your partner are aged 60 or over, we will only use tariff income if you have between £6,000 and £16,000.
For every £500 (or part of £500) you have over £6,000, we add £1 to the money we count each week when working out your benefit.
How long will it take you to work out my claim?
That depends on how quickly you send in all the information and how busy we are when you make your claim. We will send you a letter telling you how we have worked out your Council Tax Benefit or Second Adult Rebate. Please check the information in this letter very carefully. If you think there is anything wrong, you must tell us straightaway.
When will my benefit start?
If you qualify, your benefit will usually start from the Monday after we get your claim form. But, if you think your benefit should start earlier, you need to write to us and tell us: the date you think your benefit should start and the reason why you did not claim earlier.
If you get benefit from an earlier date, it is called 'backdating'. You must show that there was 'good cause' for not having made your claim earlier, and the maximum time we can go back is 52 weeks from the date you ask us to backdate your benefit.
Please visit the 'Backdating of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefits' page for more information.
How will you pay me?
We will pay your Council Tax Benefit straight to your Council Tax account. You will get a bill which shows the amount you have to pay after we have awarded the benefit.
What should I do if anything changes when I'm getting benefit?
You should tell us straightaway if your circumstances change. It might affect how much you get, and if you don't tell us you may lose benefit. If you don't tell us about a change and we pay you too much benefit, you may have to pay it back. You must tell us about the following changes.
Please tell us if:
These are just a few examples. If you're not sure, just check with us.
Changes in your home
Please tell us if:
These are just a few examples. If you're not sure, just check with us.
Absences from home
Please tell us if you or your partner:
These are just two examples. If you're not sure, just check with us.
Other changes we need to know about
Please tell us if:
You do not have to tell us about changes in age, for example, if one of your children becomes 11, as we will have this information already. If you are not sure whether any changes affect your benefit, tell us anyway.
What happens if you give me too much money?
If we give you too much benefit or Second Adult Rebate, it is called an 'excess benefit'.
If there is an excess benefit, we will send you a letter which tells you:
In most cases we will send you a revised Council Tax bill, and you will usually have to pay more Council Tax. Please visit the 'Overpayment's - Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit' section for more information.
Download Claim Form
Click here to download the: Housing and Council Tax Benefit Claim Form
What can I do if I don't agree with your decision?
If you don't agree with our decision, you can ask us to look at it again. Our letters tell you what your rights are. Please see 'What to do if you disagree with a Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit decision' for more detailed information.
Where can I get help?
The council offers free, independent, confidential advice on the following benefits:
If you need to find out whether you are eligible for any of these benefits or if you need help completing benefit forms, please get in touch with our Independent Benefit Advisor, Karen Linford.
Phone Karen on 0151 356 6607 or email karen.linford@epnbc.gov.uk
Home visits can be arranged if required.
Advice is also available from Ellesmere Port and Neston's Citizens Advice Bureau.
