Council Tax Support is a scheme to help you pay your Council Tax if you’re on a low income.
How much you get depends on your income, savings and personal circumstances.
If you receive Council Tax Support, make sure your award is correct and tell us if your circumstances change. You may have to pay a penalty if you do not.
Who can apply
You can apply for Council Tax Support if you and your partner have less than £6,000 savings, unless you or your partner get a disability benefit
You must live in the UK to apply.
How to claim Council Tax Support
Apply as soon as possible – delays in applying may mean you miss out on support.
You can apply for Council Tax Support online. If you cannot apply online, email hbsupportteam@portsmouthcc.gov.uk or call 023 9283 4556.
How Council Tax Support is calculated
We work out your Council Tax Support by comparing your weekly income (and your partner’s income if you have one) to an income band. The band you fall into decides the percentage taken off your Council Tax charge.
You may receive one of the following discounts: 90%, 65%, 40% or 15%. Your discount depends on your household type and total weekly income.
Use the income bands below to check if you’re eligible.
Please note: if your Universal Credit include housing costs, we do not include these when working out your Council Tax Support.
Income bands
If you’re not working
You’ll receive the highest reduction of 90% (band 1) if you’re not working and receiving one of the following:
- Income Support
- Income‑Related Jobseekers Allowance
- Income‑Related Employment Support Allowance
Single person income
Amount we will reduce your council tax by:
- £0 to £100 – 90% (band 1)
- £100.01 to £180 – 65% (band 2)
- £180.01 to £220 – 40% (band 3)
- £220.01 to £260 – 15% (band 4)
- More than £260 – 0% (band 5)
Single person with one child income
Amount we will reduce your council tax by:
- £0 to £180 – 90% (band 1)
- £180.01 to £260 – 65% (band 2)
- £260.01 to £300 – 40% (band 3)
- £300.01 to £340 – 15% (band 4)
- More than £340 – 0% (band 5)
Single person with two or more children income
Amount we will reduce your council tax by:
- £0 to £250 – 90% (band 1)
- £250.01 to £330 – 65% (band 2)
- £330.01 to £370 – 40% (band 3)
- £370.01 to £410 – 15% (band 4)
- More than £410 – 0% (band 5)
Couple income
Amount we will reduce your council tax by:
- £0 to £160 – 90% (band 1)
- £160.01 to £240 – 65% (band 2)
- £240.01 to £280 – 40% (band 3)
- £280.01 to £320 – 15% (band 4)
- More than £320 – 0% (band 5)
Couple with one child income
Amount we will reduce your council tax by:
- £0 to £240 – 90% (band 1)
- £240.01 to £320 – 65% (band 2)
- £320.01 to £360 – 40% (band 3)
- £360.01 to £400 – 15% (band 4)
- more than £400 – 0% (band 5)
Couple with two or more children income
Amount we will reduce your council tax by:
- £0 to £310 – 90% (band 1)
- £310.01 to £390 – 65% (band 2)
- £390.01 to £430 – 40% (band 3)
- £430.01 to £470 – 15% (band 4)
- more than £470 – 0% (band 5)
Capital
You will not be eligible for Council Tax Support if you (or your partner) have more than £6,000 in capital.
Capital under £6,000 does not affect the level of support you receive.
Disregarded income
The following are disregarded when we work out your weekly income:
- Carers Allowance
- Disability Living Allowance
- Personal Independence Payment
- Child Benefit
- Support component of Employment Support Allowance
- Child maintenance
- War pensions
If you or your partner work, we will disregard £25 from your earnings per claim.
Childcare costs
Childcare costs are disregarded for any of the following:
- up to £175 per week where your family includes only one child for whom relevant childcare charges are paid
- £300 per week where your family includes more than one child for whom relevant childcare charges are paid.
Alternatively, if you receive Universal Credit and your award includes the Childcare Element, we’ll disregard that amount instead.
Disability-related deductions
We apply a deduction of £115 per claim if you, your partner or your child receives any of the following:
- Disability Living Allowance
- Personal Independence payment
- Attendance allowance
Non-dependant deductions
For each adult (over 18) living with you (who is not your partner, spouse, lodger or joint tenant), a deduction of £12.50 will be made from your support.
This deduction does not apply if:
- you or your partner is registered blind or treated as blind
- you or your partner is receiving Attendance Allowance or the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
- the non-dependant is:
- on Pension Credit
- Youth Trainee
- in prison or detention
- patient in hospital for more than 52 weeks
- member of the armed forces away on operations
- full-time student
Tell us if your circumstances change
You must tell us straight away if anything changes that could affect your Council Tax Support. Changes to your award take effect from the date the change happens.
You can report a change online.
You must tell us if:
- your household income changes, and you now fall into a higher or lower income band
- any of your children leave full time education
- you change address, or anyone moves in or moves out of your home (including a new baby, children, other family or friends, lodgers)
- you or anyone living with you, is no longer entitled to Income Support, Jobseekers allowance, Pension credit, Employment and support allowance or Universal credit
- you or your partner’s savings or investments are more than £6000
- you or anyone living with you, becomes a student, goes on a youth training scheme, goes into hospital, a nursing home or prison
- you or your partner are going to be away from home for more than a month
- you receive any decision from the Home Office about your immigration status
- any changes to the level of childcare costs you pay
- any other change in circumstance that might affect your right to the amount of Council Tax Support you receive
If you receive too much Council Tax Support, the excess will be added to your Council Tax account.
Documents
View the Council tax Support scheme document.