Thousands of households can cut their council tax by £1,470 with simple form – how to do it

THOUSANDS of households can cut their council tax bill by £1,470 a year by filling in a simple form.

If you are on a low income or receiving benefits, you could be eligible for some help towards your council tax.

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Whether you are eligible will vary depending on where you live.

If you find yourself struggling to pay your bill, you may also be able to get a deferral or speak to your council about setting up a payment plan to manage the cost.

But one thing to remember is if you are struggling you should contact your council as early as you can.

However, those on low incomes and living in Leeds can get their council tax bills reduced by up to 75%.

Some might even get their bill reduced to £0.

Here’s how to get it.

Who’s eligible for the support?

Those on low incomes are usually eligible for council tax support.

This reduces the amount of council tax you have to pay.

The size of the discount you get depends on your income.

There is a maximum discount of 75%, unless you qualify as a member of a protected group, for those residing in Leeds.

You may be eligible for Council Tax Support if you:

• Live in the UK
• Pay council tax
• Are on a low income

If you have capital (savings, investments and property) over £16,000 you cannot claim council tax support unless you or your partner (or both of you) have reached the qualifying age for State Pension Credit and one of you gets Pension Credit. 

How much support can I get?

You can apply for council tax support if you’re on Universal Credit.

These households can get a maximum of 75% off their council tax bills.

So for the average Band D property in Leeds, this equates to a £1468.792 saving.

It’ll mean you’ll pay £489.60 instead of the full Band D rate of £1,958.39.

You can claim up to 100% discount on your council tax if you belong to a protected group. The size of your discount will depend on your income and situation.

Protected groups are:

• Pensioners
• Disabled people entitled to an enhanced or severe disability premium
• Lone parents responsible for one or more dependent children under five, they must not have a partner living with them
• Carers eligible for carer’s allowance
• War widows and war pensioners, who must be in receipt of a war widows pension, war disablement pension or armed forces compensation payment

Do I need to apply for the support?

You will need to apply for the support on the Leeds Council website.

If you need help completing the online form you can contact the council on 0113 222 4404.

You’ll usually need to have your national insurance number, bank statements, a recent payslip or letter from the Jobcentre, and a passport or driving licence to hand.

What if I don’t live in Leeds?

Each council runs its own council tax support scheme.

Local authorities are given a different portion of funding depending on the size of the catchment area, population, and need.

Eligibility requirements will vary depending on where you live – so check directly with your council if you could get the cash help.

You can apply for a reduction at UK.Gov.

In other news, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is getting primed to deliver his Autumn Statement this week.

The Statement will be read in the House of Commons on Wednesday (November 22) at midday.

The annual fiscal event sees the government outline its plans for tax hikes, cuts and things like changes to the minimum wage.

Of course, we won’t know exactly what’s coming in the Autumn Statement until the day itself, but we’ve looked at what could be expected.

From the hotly anticipated annual benefit uprating to tax cuts – here’s what might come to fruition on Wednesday.