Article: Backdated council tax benefit Article Body What is a backdated claim? Council tax benefit is normally paid from the Monday after we receive your claim. However claims can sometimes be backdated to start from an earlier date. There are different rules for backdating claims depending on your age. If you or your partner are of pensionable age Your claim will automatically be backdated for a maximum of three months depending on your circumstances. There is no need for you to make a request. If you or your partner are of working age If there has been a good reason why you could not complete or get your form to us sooner, then you can ask for your claim to be 'backdated' for a maximum of six months from when we receive your request for backdate. What is a good reason for not applying sooner? You need to have a good reason for not claiming at the right time; we call this having or showing 'good cause'. Thinking that you may not be entitled to benefit or not knowing that you could claim are not normally good reasons for us to be able to backdate your claim. Good reasons include: being too ill to claim bereavement problems with postal services not being given the correct information by an official body or service such as an advice centre having to rely on others to deal with your affairs due to a disability, your age or because of your health These are just some common examples of what is a good reason. If you think you should get backdated benefit but your circumstances are not listed on this page; contact us for more information or make a claim for backdating. Do I need a good reason for the whole period? Yes, you must show that you had a good reason for the whole of the period for which a backdate is claimed and up to the date your backdate request is received. How do I apply for my claim to be backdated? Write to us asking for your claim to be backdated: Benefits, Taxation and Welfare Rights Division, PO Box 634, Barnsley, S70 9GG or E-mail us asking for your claim to be backdated: benefitsassessments@barnsley.gov.uk What do I need to include? If you write to or email us then we will need the following: your name address and reference number the dates you want us to backdate your claim from and to the reasons why you could not apply sooner details of your income and capital for the period you are asking us to backdate if you have any proof to confirm your reasons for making a late claim then send them to us for example proof of hospital admission and discharge dates For impartial advice on writing your backdate request letter you can also contact the Citizen's Advice Bureau or the Welfare Rights Service. What happens next? If we need more information then we will write to you to let you know what we want and the date you need to provide it by. We will write to you when we have made a decision. If your request is successful any backdated benefit will be shown on your council tax bill. Application forms Housing and council tax benefit application form Housing and council tax benefit application form - guidance notes Related documents Service standards Legislation Housing Benefit Regulations 2006 Council Tax Benefit Regulations 2006 Housing Benefit (persons that have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations 2006 Council Tax Benefit (persons that have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations 2006 Data Protection Act 1998 Contact details Enquiries and requests for application forms can be made as follows: E-mail: benefitsassessments@barnsley.gov.uk Telephone the benefits helpline: 01226 774743 Opening hours: Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm and Friday 9am to 4.30pm Fax: 01226 774733 By writing or sending documents to: Benefits, Taxation and Welfare Rights Division, PO Box 634, Barnsley, S70 9GG. By personal visit to any Barnsley Connects office Additional information To learn more about our compliments, comments and complaints process please see general complaints. Related services Council Tax Welfare Rights Barnsley Connects Homelessness and Housing Advice View your benefit details online Benefit calculator Other useful websites DirectGov-Money,Tax and Benefits Citizens Advice Bureau Data Protection We will use the information you give on the council tax benefit application form and any supporting evidence you send us to process your claim for council tax benefit. We may pass the information on to the Department for Work and Pensions and HMRC, as allowed by law. We may also use the information to tell you what other welfare benefits you are entitled to. We may check the information provided by you, or information about you provided by someone else, against other information we hold. We may also ask other agencies, organisations, local authorities or government departments to give us information they have.