Apply for a Council Tax Reduction
Check if you can get a reduction to your Council Tax and apply online.
Who can apply for a Council Tax Reduction (CTR)
If you're in a low-income household and need help paying your Council Tax, you could get a Council Tax Reduction.
You can reduce your Council Tax bill if your savings are less than:
- £6,000 if you're of working age
- £16,000 if you're of state pensionable age
If you do not receive Universal Credit (UC)
If you're not on Universal Credit we'll compare your weekly income with your applicable amount, which is the amount the Government says you need to live on.
If your income is the same or less than your applicable amount, you get the highest reduction you can on your Council Tax.
If you're of pensionable age, the highest possible reduction is 100%.
If you're of working age the highest possible reduction is 82% of the Council Tax for a Band D property.
If you receive Universal Credit (UC)
We'll use the monthly figure stated on your UC notification (under ‘Earnings reported by your employer’) to calculate your entitlement to CTR, based on the table below.
If there's a partner on the UC claim who also has an ‘Earnings reported by your employer’ figure, we’ll include this in our calculation.
We cannot use any income figures supplied by you or any other third party.
If there are any other adults living in your household, excluding your partner, go to our Non-dependant deduction rates for Council Tax Reduction page.
It's your responsibility to ensure that Universal Credit and Brighton & Hove City Council are kept up to date with your household circumstances, including any change of address or change of household.
How we calculate Council Tax Reduction
Council Tax Reduction (CTR) for those on Universal Credit is calculated according to the Earned Income figures within the Universal Credit award.
Council Tax Reduction bandings from 1 April 2024
| Level | Weekly earnings | Proportion of Council Tax bill payable | Proportion of Council Tax bill discounted (not payable) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £0.00 to £89.94 | 18% | 82% (max) |
| 2 | £89.95 to £128.49 | 40% | 60% |
| 3 | £128.50 to £167.04 | 60% | 40% |
| 4 | £167.05 to £218.44 | 80% | 20% |
| 5 | £218.45 to £321.24 | 90% | 10% |
| 6 | £321.25 plus | 100% | No reduction - not eligible for CTR |
When the earned income figure(s) on your Universal Credit award changes, your Council Tax Reduction (CTR) entitlement will need to be recalculated accordingly.
If the Universal Credit award lists your capital as above £6000 you will not qualify for any Council Tax Reduction.
To work out your weekly earned income amount:
- add the earning(s) figures listed in the breakdown of your Universal Credit entitlement together
- multiply that figure by 12
- divide it by 52 weeks
How to end your council tax reduction
If your personal circumstances have changed you need to let us know so we can end the reduction on your council tax.
Council Tax Reduction changes from 1 April 2019
We'll only recalculate your CTR if your entitlement goes up or down by more than £2.
You still need to tell us if you have a change of circumstances. If we change your CTR, we'll send you an updated Council Tax bill.
You can apply for a Discretionary Payment if you need extra help to pay the rest of your bill.
You can also find out more about how we calculate Council Tax Reduction.
More information about Council Tax Reductions
You can find detailed information about how the scheme works by viewing our Council Tax Reduction Scheme for people who are not pensioners.
You can also download our:
- Council Tax Reduction Scheme for Pensioners (PDF 1.59MB)
- Discretionary Council Tax Scheme (PDF 146KB)
If, having applied for a reduction of your council tax through our council tax reduction and discretionary council tax reduction schemes, you are found not to be eligible, we will, in exceptional circumstances, consider if we can use S13a 1 (c) to write off all or part of your council tax.
Section 13a (1c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 allows local authorities to reduce the council tax liability for a customer. This is a last resort and will only be considered once all other discounts and exemption options have been exhausted.