Discretionary Council Tax Reduction Scheme

Your application is not just about applying for financial assistance, it is an opportunity to provide us with a full picture of your circumstances so we can see if there are other ways in which the difference between rent and benefit can be addressed. It's therefore important that you provide as much information as possible with your application.

Gather the required information and documentation ahead of completing the form.

You have 10 minutes to complete each page of the application form., after this the form will time out and you will need to restart. It's not possible to save a partially completed form, nor to retrieve information if the time-out period is reached.

You will need details of your household and your household income and expenditure before starting the form, as this information is required for all applications.

You'll need following information for your application:

• National Insurance Number
• Contact telephone number and email address
• details of why are you applying for a discretionary payment, and of any action you are taking to improve your situation
• if claiming Universal Credit, the date of your Universal Credit application and your monthly Housing Element award
• length of time at address
• details of rent paid
• names, dates of birth, relationship details and income for other household members
• details of any disabilities or health conditions for you and other household members
• Social Worker or Support Worker details
• details of any adaptations for the purposes of care needs to your home
• care details
• children and family circumstances
• current working arrangements

You'll need to provide household income details:

• wages, pension, benefits, maintenance, other
• savings, capital, investments, property, other

You'll also need to provide details of household expenditure:

• rent, mortgage, council tax, other
• utilities
• digital and phone
• insurance, maintenance payments
• child minding fees, children's activities, school meals and meals at work
• groceries, household items and toiletries
• clothing and shoes
• prescriptions, dental and glasses
• vehicle costs, bus fares, other travel and transport
• outstanding arrears or debts;
  • loans
  • credit cards
  • Catalogue debts

You'll need to provide the following evidence in support of your application and as proof of your detailed income and expenditure:

• 3 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

Apply for a Discretionary Payment

The form can be completed by:

• the person liable to pay the rent
• someone who's been nominated to act on their behalf

If you can't complete the application online, you can contact our Benefits Team who can complete the form with you over the phone, or arrange an appointment to discuss the application in detail.

We may ask for additional information or evidence if necessary.

Also see

• Household Support Fund
• Benefits
• Help with council tax for your household
• Council tax arrears