Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support

Housing benefit

Housing Benefit can help you pay your rent if you’re unemployed, on a low income or claiming benefits. It’s being replaced by Universal Credit unless one of the following apply:

• You live in temporary accommodation
• You live in sheltered or supported housing with special facilities such as alarms or wardens
•  You receive a severe disability premium or are eligible to a severe disability premium
• You are of state pension age

From 15th May 2019 changes in your circumstances may mean that you are no longer entitled to housing benefit and may need to apply for Universal credit

How much you can get

How much you get depends on:

• the lower figure of your ‘eligible’ rent or LHA rate
• your household income including benefits, pensions and savings (over £6,000)
• your circumstances (for example your age or whether you have a disability)

To check your eligibility or make a claim click on the link :  https://new.enfield.gov.uk/services/benefits

Council Tax Support

If you are on a low income, whether you’re working or not, and need financial help to pay your Council Tax bill, you may be able to get Council Tax Support.

You may get Council Tax Support if you pay Council Tax and your income and capital (savings and investments) are below a certain level. You may apply whether you rent or own your home, or live rent-free. You could qualify if you are out of work, or in work and earning a wage.

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support – New claims

Housing Benefit (HB) and Council Tax Support (CTS) are means-tested welfare benefits. The amount you could receive is based on your income, capital, circumstances, rent and Council Tax levels. These benefits help people on low income pay their rent and Council Tax. Both benefits can be claimed on the same form.

Use Enfield Council’s benefit/support calculator to see if you are entitled and make an online claim by clicking on this link enfield.betteroff.org.uk

Unfortunately, Enfield Carers Centre cannot help with Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support queries or claims, but if you contact Enfield Council’s Housing Benefit and Council Tax team on 020 8379 1000 or visit their Benefits website page by clicking here council benefits information

The amount of Council Tax which applies to a property is based on two adults living in that property.

The effect of a discount is to reduce the amount of Council Tax by 25% (if there is only one adult resident who is not disregarded) and by 50% (if all the residents are disregarded).

Certain people are disregarded (i.e. are not counted) when looking at the number of people living in a property, to assess if a discount should apply.  The full list of residents who are disregarded is quite long, but the main ones which could be applicable to people with Learning Disabilities, Dementia or Carers are:

• Children (aged under 18)
• Full-time Students
• People who are ‘Severely Mentally Impaired’ – this would include severe learning disabilities or dementia – which appears to be permanent, as confirmed by a medical practitioner,

AND is receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) (middle or highest rate care), or Personal Independence Payments (PIP) (daily living, either rate), or Attendance Allowance, or Constant Attendance Allowance, or Severe Disablement Allowance, or Universal Credit (with limited capability for work or work-related activity)

• Carers of a person aged 18 or over, who is getting DLA (middle or highest rate care), or PIP (daily living, either rate), or Attendance Allowance, where the carer is not their husband, wife or partner, and the carer is caring for more than 35 hours per week, and lives in the same property as the person they care for. There may be more than one discounted carer in a household, if each carer cares for 35 hours or more.

Examples:

• Three adults live in a property – a husband, wife and daughter. The daughter has severe learning disabilities and is cared for by the wife (see qualifying conditions detailed above), the husband does not have a significant caring role – the Council Tax would be reduced by 25%, as one resident (the husband) is not disregarded.
• Three adults live in a property – a husband, wife and daughter. The daughter has severe learning disabilities and is cared for by both the husband and the wife (see qualifying conditions detailed above) – the Council Tax would be reduced by 50%, as all residents are disregarded.
• Four adults live in a property – a husband, wife, son and daughter. The son is not a student. The daughter has severe learning disabilities and is cared for by both the husband and the wife (see qualifying conditions detailed above) – the Council Tax would be reduced by 25%, as one resident (the son) is not disregarded.
• Four adults live in a property – a husband, wife, son and daughter. The daughter has severe learning disabilities and is cared for by both the husband and the wife (see qualifying conditions detailed above) and the son is a full-time student – the Council Tax would be reduced by 50%, as all residents are disregarded.
• Two adults live in a property – a father and son. The father has severe dementia and is cared for by the son (see qualifying conditions detailed above) – the Council Tax would be reduced by 50%, as all residents are disregarded.
• Two adults live in a property – a husband and wife. The husband has severe dementia and is cared for by the wife (see qualifying conditions detailed above) – the Council Tax would be reduced by 25% – as one resident (the wife) is not disregarded. Note that a person caring for their husband, wife or partner is not disregarded.

Any discount should be back-dated to the time when the conditions first applied, so if a discount has not been claimed in the past, a lump sum refund of Council Tax should be made to you for all the time when the discount had not been claimed.  This discount is not means tested so you will not be required to give any information about income, etc.

Even if a householder is entitled to Council Tax Support, the appropriate discounts should be applied before the householder’s contribution to Council Tax is calculated.

It should be noted that where a property is solely occupied by a person or persons who are ‘Severely Mentally Impaired’ (SMI), even if care staff provide support to the learning disabled residents, then the property should be treated as ‘Exempt’ and no Council Tax should be charged.

Finally, if a property has been adapted to suit the needs of a disabled person who lives in the property, then it may qualify for a reduction equivalent to being charged at a band lower than that at which the property is listed.

If you wish to find out more about the above, or make a claim, ring Enfield Local Authority on 020 8379 1000, or visit the enfield.gov.uk website.
If you require help, contact an advice service such as the Enfield Carers Centre Benefits Advice Worker (020 8366 3677).

You may be eligible for a discount, disregard or exemption on your Council Tax.

You may be entitled to a 25% discount

• If only one adult is living in the property
• there are two or more people living in the household and all but one is classed as ‘disregarded’

You may be entitled to a 50% discount if:

• all residents of the household are disregarded
• you are living in a granny annex and are related to the person that owns the main dwelling

A person may be disregarded if they are:

• in a hospital or care home
• are severely mentally impaired
• a student or student nurse.
• a school or college leaver
• an apprentice or YTS trainee
• a dependant that child benefit is provided for
• a student and their non-British partner
• a care worker, such as a community service volunteer
• living with and providing essential care (i.e. due to a disability), who is not their spouse, partner or child under 18

If you have adapted your home for a disabled adult or child you may be entitled to a reduction. If you are eligible your Council Tax will be reduced by one band.