Housing benefit and council tax support

Eligibility

You must be a council tax payer in Cheltenham to qualify. You can only apply for discretionary relief on your current council tax bill.

Criteria for making a claim

We will review each application on its own merits. We will consider these factors:

• there must be evidence of financial hardship or personal circumstances that justify a reduction in council tax liability
• the applicant's income and expenditure including unusual and/or avoidable expenditure
• whether there are exceptional circumstances that contribute to the financial hardship
• the applicant must demonstrate that all reasonable steps have been taken or will be taken to resolve the situation
• entitlement to all other eligible discounts/reliefs/income/welfare benefits have been explored and are being claimed
• the amount outstanding must not be the result of wilful refusal to pay or culpable neglect
• the applicant does not have access to other assets that could be used towards their council tax liability
• whether the situation can be resolved by some other legitimate means
• whether an award will assist the applicant towards a position where they can pay their council tax within a reasonable time frame without further recourse to this discount
• any social or health issues currently being faced by the resident and/or their immediate family
• the effect the situation is having on vulnerable members of the resident's family (eg the elderly, the young, the infirm etc.)
• other evidence in support of an application (such as information from doctors and/or social workers)
• whether the applicant has asked for advice already, eg from Citizens' Advice
• the size and banding of the current accommodation
• the possibility of moving to a smaller and lower banded property
• the lifestyle choices of the applicant and their household
• whether there is a threat of court action in relation to council tax arrears.