Council Tax Support

You may be able to get help with your Council Tax bill if you are on a low income or claim benefits. The help you could receive will depend on:

your circumstances (for example, 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

Apply for Council Tax Support

Evidence you will need to provide for you and your partner (if appropriate):

Proof of identity – passport, driving licence, birth certificate, marriage certificate
Proof of National Insurance number – payslip, benefit award letter
Proof of Universal Credit - Full breakdown of the latest Universal Credit award
Proof of benefits – latest award letter, bank statements
Proof of earnings – last five weekly/three fortnightly/two monthly payslips
Proof of self-employment – most recent set of audited accounts
Proof of private pensions – payslips, bank statements
Proof of capital – statements for all bank/building society/post office/PayPal accounts held showing balance & transactions for last two months, ISA statements, share/Premium Bond certificates
Proof of non-dependant income – payslips, benefit award letters, full breakdown of Universal Credit award

All supporting evidence must be provided within one calendar month of the application being submitted otherwise the application will be made defective. Evidence can be uploaded when you submit your application or emailed to benefits@cotswold.gov.uk or posted to the benefits team here at the council.

Apply for Council Tax Support online

If you cannot apply online for any reason, contact the benefit team on 01285 623035 or email benefits@cotswold.gov.uk to request assistance.

Deciding applications

We aim to decide complete applications with all required supporting evidence within 14 days. We will notify you once your claim has been assessed.

Backdating a claim

If you haven't been able to apply for benefits immediately we may be able to backdate your application.

Help with housing costs

You may be eligible for help with housing costs.

Hardship Fund

If you are struggling to pay your Council Tax you can apply for additional assistance from our Hardship Fund.

Apply to the Hardship Fund

Second Adult Rebate for pension age customers

Second Adult Rebate is for single people, who have reached state pension age, who pay Council Tax but share their home with another adult aged 18 or over, who is on a low income and does not pay rent.

To claim this rebate the person or people sharing your home must not be:

your partner (married or unmarried)
under 18
paying rent
liable for Council Tax
a joint owner or joint tenant
already disregarded for a discount on your Council Tax bill; for example you must not be getting a student discount of 25%

If you want to claim this benefit, please contact the benefit team on 01285 623035 or email benefits@cotswold.gov.uk to request an application form.

External support agencies

For further help see our list of external support agencies.