Council Tax Reduction is a means tested entitlement available to people who are responsible for paying council tax. You can apply for Council Tax Reduction if you rent or own your home or live rent free. We work out how much your bill will be reduced by looking at
If your savings and investments are over £16000 you will not be entitled to Council Tax Reduction.
If you are in receipt of Universal Credit you must still make a separate application to Fife Council for Council Tax Reduction.
The Council Tax Reduction regulations changed in April 2022 for people who are in work and receiving Universal Credit. People in these circumstances now have less of their wages included, meaning they qualify for more help. If you have applied before but didn’t qualify these changes might mean you can receive help. Check if you will qualify using the calculator below.
If you do not qualify for Council Tax Reduction but have a second adult over 18 in the property who is not your partner and is on a low income you can apply for a Second Adult Reduction (SAR). Second Adult Reduction can only be awarded if the other adult over 18:
Enter your details into the Eligibility Calculator to find out if you may qualify. Please note this is an indication only and confirmation will only follow after your application has been processed.
When you apply for a Council Tax Reduction, you will be asked to provide evidence to support your application. All documents, certificates and evidence must be originals. Your documents can be handed into a Customer service centre by appointment. Although this is not always necessary this will make sure you receive the best possible service. To arrange an appointment please call 03451 55 11 55. Alternatively, you can send them to the Benefits and Council Tax Team. Find out what we will accept as evidence below.
If you have applied for a benefit with the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) they will ask if you wish to apply for Council Tax Reduction. If you said ‘Yes’ the DWP may pass your information onto the Benefits & Council Tax Team, however you still need to make an application to Fife Council.
Council Tax Reduction is normally awarded from the Monday after the date you apply. If you apply for Council Tax Reduction within one month of starting other benefits (for example Income Support, Income based Job Seekers Allowance or Income Related Employment Support Allowance) then your reduction will start from the Monday after the date your entitlement to these benefits began.
If you are applying for a Council Tax Reduction you must tell us at once about any change in circumstances you or the people living with you may have.
Some changes may mean you are entitled to a higher reduction, but others may mean you receive a lower amount or you may no longer be entitled to a reduction.
Your entitlement will usually start on the Monday after we receive your application. If you would like it to start from an earlier date, you must have a good reason for not applying earlier. We can consider backdating your application for up to 6 months.
If you want us to consider backdating, you must write to us giving your reasons for not applying at the appropriate time. The reasons you give must apply throughout the period which you are applying for.
If you have reached State Pension Credit qualifying age, then your application automatically covers the last 3 months from the date it is received (provided you are due to pay Council Tax during that period). If you reach State Pension Credit qualifying age within that period it will only be paid from then.
When you make a claim for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction, your claim should be supported with evidence. You should provide this evidence within 14 days to us via email at benctax@fife.gov.uk, or to a Customer service centre.
If you choose to return your evidence to a Customer service centre, we recommend you make an appointment. Although it is not always necessary, this will make sure you receive the best possible service. To arrange an appointment please click here.
We have introduced the facility to allow Housing Benefit/ Council Tax Reduction/ Discretionary Housing Payment customers to register to view information electronically. This will include notifications confirming the details used in any assessment and entitlement where applicable.
To register for online letters or to view your Claim Summary click the button below.
Please note in order to register or access your Claim Summary you will need the following information:
You can view the answers to the questions we get asked most often, about this service, in our FAQ section.
Evidence of identity and National Insurance Number (NINO)
Evidence of where you live
Evidence of unearned income
Evidence of earnings
Evidence of capital
If you have a non-dependant living with you such as an adult son, daughter, relative or friend, we will take fixed amounts from your Council Tax Reduction award. This is based on the gross weekly income of the non-dependant and the amounts are given below.
We take deductions regardless of whether the non dependant contributes to your household or not.
| Circumstances | 2021/22 Weekly |
|---|---|
| Aged 25+ receiving Income Support/Job Seekers Allowance (Income Based) / Employment Support Allowance (Income Related) | £4.30 |
| Aged 25+ receiving Universal Credit with no earned income | £4.30 |
| Aged under 25 receiving Income Support/Job Seekers Allowance (Income Based) / Employment Support Allowance (Income Related) (assessment phase) | £4.30 |
| Aged under 25 receiving Universal Credit with no earned income | £4.30 |
| Aged 18+ not working | £4.30 |
| Person receiving Pension Credit | £4.30 |
| Working with gross income less than £213.00 with or without Universal Credit | £4.30 |
| Working with gross income between £213.00 - £369.99 with or without Universal Credit | £8.50 |
| Working with gross income between £370.00 - £457.99 with or without Universal Credit | £10.80 |
| Working with gross income over £458.00 with or without Universal Credit | £12.90 |
If after receiving a review decision by us and you remain dissatisfied then you can seek an independent ruling from the Council Tax Reduction Review Panel (CTRRP) who will conduct a further review. You must do this within 42 days of receiving Fife Council’s review decision.
Remember a further review by the CTRRP can only be requested after the relevant local authority has carried out an internal review.
The only exception to this is if you do not receive a written response from us within two months of the original request. If this occurs you or your representative can request an independent ruling from the CTRRP.
The CTRRP is an independent body which is an addition to the Scottish Tribunals Service, providing an additional review service to safeguard individual’s rights to administrative justice when assessing an individual’s eligibility for Council Tax Reduction. They will consider the facts presented to them and give an independent ruling, deciding whether the decision made by your local authority is correct or not.
An application for further review should be made directly by you or your representative in writing to the:
Council Tax Reduction Review Panel
Glasgow Tribunals Centre
20 York Street
Glasgow G2 8GT
Further information, including application forms, are available at:
Council Tax Reduction Review Panel (CTRRP)
email address ctrrpadmin@scotcourtstribunals.gov.uk
telephoning 0141 302 5840
Please Remember:
Many decisions can be revised once additional information is provided meaning that a review may not be necessary. If you receive your Council Tax Reduction notification and you think the reduction applied is incorrect it is always best to ask for us to reconsider the decision first. To do this you can email us within two months of your CTR notification at benctax@fife.gov.uk telling us why you think the award is wrong.
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