Council tax support

If you are on a low income, you might be able to get help with paying your council tax. Council tax support can reduce the amount of council tax support you need to pay.

Who can get council tax support

You might be able to get council tax support if you:

• need to pay council tax
• are on a low income or are getting benefits like Universal Credit, Jobseekers Allowance, Employment Support Allowance, or Income Support
• have less than £16,000 in savings and investments.

Apply for council tax support

Use our online form to apply if you can say 'yes' to the three points above.

Apply now

Apply for both housing benefit and council tax support

You can apply for housing benefit and council tax support together if you need help paying your rent too and are either:

• living in temporary or supported exempt accommodation
• of pensionable age and need help paying your rent too, you can apply for housing benefit and council tax support together.

Apply by:

1. downloading, printing and filling in this form.
2. returning the completed form to us at London Borough of Islington, Benefits Service, PO Box 34750, London N7 9WF, or email FrontOffice.Housing@islington.gov.uk.

Download form

If you have any questions or difficulties filling in the form, phone us on 020 7527 4990.

If you already get council tax support and have had a change of circumstances, find out what you need to report and tell us about it.

Pension age adults

If you are state pension age, we work out your council tax support using Government guidelines. This includes considering things like income from state and other pensions, how much council tax you need to pay and the type of Pension Credit you might get. 

In Islington, we do not include your war widow and war widowers pension when we work out your council tax support and won’t change the amount you get.

Working age adults

For working age applicants, you get council tax support based on how much you (and your partner, if you have one) earn.

The level of council tax support is also different depending on if:

• you have children or young adults living in your household
• you are disabled or a lone parent with a child under the age of five.

If the amount you earn changes, your council tax support stays the same unless you move into a new income band.

How much you will get off your bill based on your income

You do not have to pay council tax if you and your partner are not working and you:

• get any rate of Personal Independence Payment
• get any rate of Disability Living Allowance
• receive Universal Credit, with limited capability for work
• are a single parent with no earnings and a child under five years.

If you are not working and not in receipt of the above benefits, you will get 95% off your bill.

If you are working, the following income bands apply. You will not receive council tax support if you earn above the top income band.

'Weekly income' is your take-home pay (net pay) each week. That's your gross payment minus:

• tax
• National Insurance contributions
• 100% pension contributions.

If you are single and do not have children

Weekly income	Amount off your council tax bill
£1-£25	85%
£25.01-£80	75%
£80.01-£120	65%
£120.01-£160	50%
£160.01-£200	35%

If you are single with one child or a couple with no children

Weekly income	Amount off your council tax bill
£1-£65	85%
£65.01-£120	75%
£120.01-£160	65%
£160.01-£200	50%
£200.01-£240	35%

If you are single with two children or more, or a couple with one child

Weekly income	Amount off your council tax bill
£1-£105	85%
£105.01-£160	75%
£160.01-£200	65%
£200.01-£240	50%
£240.01-£280	35%

If you are a couple with two children

Weekly income	Amount off your council tax bill
£1-£145	85%
£145.01-£200	75%
£200.01-£240	65%
£240.01-£280	50%
£280.01-£320	35%

Non-dependant deductions

Your council tax support will decrease by £7.50 per person if you live with someone who is:

• over 18
• not your partner
• not getting Income Support, income-based Jobseekers Allowance, income-related Employment Support Allowance, Universal Credit with no earnings or Pension Credit Guarantee Credit.

If you are getting Universal Credit

We will still help you with council tax support. You can ask for council tax support when you make your claim for Universal Credit or you can contact us at another time to make a claim. 

If your Universal Credit includes housing costs and you have a shortfall in rent as a result of the Benefit Cap, you may be able to get a Discretionary Housing Payment. Our Income Maximisation (IMAX) team will be able to help you. Call 020 7527 4990 (option 4) or email ClaimIt@islington.gov.uk.

Getting council tax support while you are away

You can still get council tax support while you are away from your home for any reason, outside of Great Britain (England, Wales, Scotland), for up to four weeks. If you are going to be away for more than four weeks, we will have to stop your council tax support from the day that you leave your home.

We may be able to continue to award council tax support for up to eight weeks if you are away from your home, outside of Great Britain, because of the death of:

• your partner
• a child or young person you or your partner are responsible for
• your or your partner's close relative
• a close relative of a child or young person you or your partner are responsible for.

You will need to show how it would be unreasonable to expect you to return within the first four weeks of being away.

We may be able to pay up to 26 weeks if you:

• are away to get medical treatment
• are accompanying a partner or child for medical treatment abroad
• live abroad in hospital as a patient
• or your partner or dependant child is having medical treatment or medically-approved convalescence in accommodation abroad, other than residential accommodation
• are a mariner or continental shelf worker, for example someone who works on an oil rig
• are a member of the armed forces posted overseas
• are away because you fear violence in your home, or violence by a person who used to be a member of your family.

Benefits calculator

GOV.UK can help you work out what benefits you may be entitled to.

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