Council tax support
Skip Menu
Council tax support fund 2023-24
Recognising the impact of rising bills, the government will be distributing £100 million of new grant funding in 2023-24 for local authorities to support economically vulnerable households in their area with council tax payments.
The government expects local authorities to use the majority of their funding allocations to reduce bills for current working age and pension age Council Tax Reduction recipients by up to £25.
The discount will apply to current Council Tax Reduction recipients that have an outstanding council tax liability for the 2023-24 financial year.
Where a taxpayer’s liability for 2023-24 is, following the application of Council Tax Reduction is less than £25, their liability would be reduced to nil.
Where a taxpayer’s liability for 2023-24 is nil, no reduction to the council tax bill will be available.
There is no need to make a claim for this support. If a resident is in receipt of Council Tax Reduction, the additional support will automatically be added to your annual council tax bill that will be issued on 8 March 2023.
Council tax discretionary hardship relief
Council Tax Discretionary Hardship Relief is intended to provide short term help to council tax payers who are suffering extreme financial hardship.
Eligibility
You must be a council tax payer in Tewkesbury Borough Council area to qualify. You can only apply for discretionary relief on your current council tax bill, and, if your application is successful, it will not reduce any existing arrears on previous year’s bills.
Criteria for making a claim
We will review each application on its own merits. We will consider these factors:
- There must be evidence of financial hardship or personal circumstances that justify a reduction in council tax liability
- The applicant’s income and expenditure including unusual and/or avoidable expenditure
- Whether there are exceptional circumstances that contribute to the financial hardship
- The applicant must demonstrate that all reasonable steps have been taken or will be taken to resolve the situation
- Entitlement to all other eligible discounts/reliefs/income/welfare benefits have been explored and are being claimed
- The amount outstanding must not be the result of wilful refusal to pay or culpable neglect
- The applicant does not have access to other assets that could be realised and used towards their council tax liability
- Whether the situation can be resolved by some other legitimate means
- Whether an award will assist the applicant towards a position where they can pay their council tax within a reasonable time frame without further recourse to this discount
- Any social or health issues currently being faced by the resident and/or their immediate family
- The effect the situation is having on vulnerable members of the resident’s family (eg the elderly, the young, the infirm etc.)
- Other evidence in support of an application (such as information from doctors and/or social workers)
- Whether the applicant has asked for advice already, eg from Citizens’ Advice
- The size and banding of the current accommodation
- The possibility of moving to a smaller and lower banded property
- The lifestyle choices of the applicant and their household
- Whether there is a threat of court action in relation to council tax arrears.
