All the help available to cut your council tax costs as bills rise by £67 a home

The bad news is all of our council tax bills are going up this year – but the good news is that you can get discounts of up to 100% if you are part of a qualifying group

The average council tax bill is going up by £67 this year , but the good news is there is help available to reduce them – and even cut them down to zero.

This applies to groups such as those on benefits or low incomes, pensioners, members of the armed forces, apprentices, students and those in care.

There are also special council tax discounts available for members of the Windrush Generation and those abused as children in the care home system .

Most homes in England are in band D for council tax, and the government today announced their bills would rise from Friday by £67, to £1,966 a year.

The average Band A bill will rise to £1,310, Band B to £1,529 and Band C to £1,747 a year.

Your bill will vary, as the way council tax is worked out depends on what sort of council you have.

You can search for your Council Tax band here on the government’s website, or find it on last year’s bill.

Millions of Brits across the UK will be eligible for a £150 rebate off their council tax bill this year under a government scheme to help offset rising energy bills .

But there are several other ways to bring down your council tax bill, if you meet the criteria.

Council tax exemptions

You can apply for up to 100% off your council tax bill if you are part of the following groups:

• Full-time students (100% off)
• Armed Forces in Forces accommodation (100% off)
• People who have moved into a care home or hospital (100% off)
• People who live alone (25% off)
• Apprentices, student nurses, monks and nuns, carers (up to 50% off)

To get an exemption you will have to apply for it .

If you have a severe mental impairment and share your home with one other person who would normally have to pay council tax, you get a single person discount of 25%.

You also are not counted for council tax if you are a live-in carer looking after someone who isn’t your partner, spouse, or child under 18.

Council tax reductions

You may also be eligible for help through a Council Tax Support scheme (sometimes called a Council Tax Reduction) if you’re on a low income or on certain benefits.

Each council has their own scheme, so the funding available can be a postcode lottery depending on where you live – but it’s worth checking what support could be available to you.

Charity group Turn2Us estimates a staggering £2.6billion in council tax help is going unclaimed by some 2,770,000 people.

Broken down, this means each person could be missing out on support worth an average of £938 each.

Any reduction varies according to:

• Where you live
• Your circumstances (eg income, number of children, benefits, residency status)
• Your household income – this includes savings, pensions and your partner’s income
• If your children live with you
• If other adults live with you

You can apply for help if you own your home, rent, are unemployed or working.

To see what support could be available, contact your local authority for more information about its Council Tax Support scheme.

This only applies to households in England, Scotland and Wales. If you live in Northern Ireland, visit the NI Direct website for help with your bills.

Council tax cuts for Windrush Generation

From April 6, more people who got Windrush Compensation Scheme (WCS) payments will be eligible for council tax reductions too .

The WCS pays out for people who settled lawfully in the UK before 1988, often from regions like the Caribbean and Africa.

However, they were often not given documents proving their legal right to live in the UK.

Many then could not get jobs, benefits, housing and health services.

These migrants became known as the Windrush Generation , after the Empire Windrush ship which brought many migrants to the UK in 1948.

Many got payouts of thousands of pounds to make up for the abuse and financial hardship they suffered earlier in life.

However, getting the cash has meant many pay more council tax as a result, as councils can class it as income when working out tax reductions.

Now the government has ordered local councils to ignore any compensation paid to these groups when working out if they are eligible for a tax cut.

Council tax cuts for those abused in care homes

Like the Windrush Generation, many people who were victims of child abuse in parts of the UK have also been overcharged for council tax.

An unknown number of pensioners in Scotland and Northern Ireland were abused as children in the care system.

Governments of both countries have set up compensation schemes, with the Scottish one paying out from £10,000 to £100,000 per person.

These payments increased council tax payments for many, and the UK government has ordered this be changed from April 6.

Council tax debt can be written off

Local authorities in England and Wales have the power to reduce – or even write off – what you owe under Section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

Section 13A write offs are typically used if your house is uninhabitable because of flooding or fire.

But you can also ask for help if you don’t have any money to pay your bills.

The money you get off depends on your individual circumstances, so it isn’t a given that you’ll get any sort of reduction at all.

Almost £2.7million of council tax debt was scrapped by councils in the 2020/21 year.

The highest household debt written off was £3,210.34, by Sheffield City Council.

But some councils, like Sutton in London, did not cancel any debt at all.

To apply, first check how much you actually owe the council.

Then check your council’s website to see if they have a page for making a Section 13A application. You can find your council’s website using this tool .

If they have a form, you should fill this out, as otherwise you will need to write a letter.

You should also remember to provide supporting evidence to back up your application, such as bank statements, payslips and benefit letters.