To calculate how much Council Tax support you are entitled to, we add together all your earned and unearned income. If you have a partner, we’ll include their income too.
We’ll deduct Income Tax, National Insurance and half of any pension contributions from your gross earnings.
We’ll make also make deductions and allowances for things such as student loans, savings and childcare.
If you’re paid monthly, we’ll work out the deductions using the average of two monthly payslips. The average is then converted into a weekly figure.
You’ll need to show us either two monthly payslips, two four-weekly payslips, three fortnightly payslips or five weekly payslips. All payslips must follow on from each other.
If you’ve just started work and don’t have these payslips, you can provide:
You will still need to provide the payslips listed above once you have received them.
If you’re self-employed, we’ll need to see your accounts. They should be for a recent trading period, for example the most recent financial year, or from the last six to 12 months.
You’ll also need to supply evidence of your income and expenses by providing invoices and receipts for the relevant trading period.
We will work out your profit for the trading period and make the deductions. The remaining profit is then converted into a weekly figure.
If you have just started self-employment you can:
We don’t count some income for the calculation of Council Tax support, for example Child Benefit, Disability Living Allowance, and 25% of money received from an ex-partner towards child maintenance.
We disregard a small amount from your earnings if you are working. This will depend on who is in your household and the number of weekly hours worked by you and, if you have one, your partner.
We calculate Council Tax support using an applicable amount. This is a part of the means test.
An applicable amount is the sum of money the government believes you (and your partner) need to meet your necessary weekly costs. The amount depends on the size and circumstances of your family.
We take your applicable amount away from your total weekly income and any remaining income is known as your excess income.
To work out your applicable amounts we add up:
We treat student loans, grants, and bursaries as income for Council Tax support purposes.
Some childcare costs are not counted when we are working out your entitlement.
Capital is anything that has a monetary value, such as land and property, investments and savings.
A non-dependant is someone who normally lives with you such as an adult child, relative or friend and is not liable to pay Council Tax.
Claims for Council Tax support can be backdated for one month.
All pensioner claims are backdated automatically for three months from the date the form is completed.