Council Tax Reduction - can you get an extended reduction

When you get Council Tax Reduction (CTR), you should tell the local council as soon as possible about any changes which you could reasonably be expected to know might affect your entitlement to CTR, or the amount of CTR you receive.

If you get Council Tax Reduction (CTR) and your circumstances change, you might be entitled to continue getting the same rate of CTR for an extra period. This is called an 'extended reduction'. You must tell the local council about the change of circumstances.

When you can get an extended reduction

Extended reductions can be made if you or your partner:

• gets Pension Credit

• stops getting a qualifying benefit and meet extra conditions.

Qualifying benefits

Qualifying benefits are:

• Severe Disablement Allowance

• Incapacity Benefit

• contributory Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)

• Income Support

• income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)

• income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA).

Extra conditions

You or your partner:

• got 1 or more of the qualifying benefits for at least 26 weeks immediately before it stopped

• stopped getting the qualifying benefit because you started work or self-employment, or your hours of work or earnings increased.

The new employment, or increase in hours or earnings, must be expected to last at least 5 weeks.

You or your partner must not have received a qualifying income-related benefit, like Income Support, income-based JSA or income-related ESA, in the last week in which you were paid:

• Severe Disablement Allowance

• Incapacity benefit

• contributory Employment and Support Allowance.

How long you can get an extended reduction

You can get an extended reduction for up to 4 weeks. You do not have to make a special application for it, but you do need to tell your local council about your change in circumstances. 

How much the extended reduction will be

If you stay in the same property, your extended reduction will be the higher of the following amounts:

• the rate it was paid at in the last week before you stopped getting the qualifying benefit

• the CTR payable, calculated on the basis of your new circumstances

• your partner's entitlement to CTR.

If you move house within the same local council area

If you move house during the period that extended reductions are due and you are liable for Council Tax in the new property, the reduction will continue at the same rate.

If you move house to a different local council area

If you move to another local council, and you are liable for Council Tax in the new property, the extended reduction will continue at the same rate and for the same period. You must tell both local councils about the change of circumstances.

The extended reduction entitlement will be transferred from your previous local council to your new local council on the first Monday after you moved.