Apply for Council Tax Discretionary Relief

Council Tax Discretionary Relief is an extra payment which can help towards reducing your Council Tax bill.

Relief will only be awarded if you're finding it difficult to pay your bill and it's considered you're suffering from extreme financial hardship. If you’re on a low income, you may also be able to claim Council Tax Support to help you pay your Council Tax bill.

We look at each request for Council Tax Discretionary Relief on a case by case basis. When making our decision we'll look at all of the following:

  • Your income and how this compares to others in a similar situation.
  • Your savings.
  • The difference between any Council Tax reduction you receive and your payments.
  • If your accommodation is suitable for your needs.
  • If your property isn't occupied, the reason it can't be sold or let.
  • If there is anyone in your household who is able to help you.
  • Any loans or debts you may have.
  • If it's reasonable that you could manage your money better.
  • If you've tried to put the situation right yourself.
  • If a major incident has occurred that has forced you from your home.

You can find out more in our Council Tax Discretionary Relief policy.

How much relief you'll receive

If your application is successful, the amount of relief you receive will depend on your individual circumstances.

How to apply

You can apply for Council Tax Discretionary Relief by filling in our online form. You'll also need to provide your bank statements from the last three months to confirm the amounts you enter in the form.

What happens next

If your application is successful you'll receive a reduction to your Council Tax bill. The relief will only be awarded for a short term, fixed period. This will depend on the nature and likely
duration of your financial hardship.

You can view your Council Tax and benefit details online by registering for a My Bentax account.

If you don't agree with our decision

If you think our decision is wrong, you can ask us to look at it again. You'll need to tell us if there's something you feel we'd not considered or were not aware of when making our decision.