Council tax benefit FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

1. Can I claim council tax benefit?

You can claim council tax benefit if you are liable to pay council tax for the property that you live at. Normal council tax benefit is based on your income, capital and circumstances and your partner's.

2. What is second adult rebate?

This is based on the income and circumstances of other adults (not including your partner) who live in your household. It may be awarded if your income is too high to get normal council tax benefit but another adult in your household has a low income, for example, receives income support.

If you have applied for both normal council tax benefit and second adult rebate we will work out and allocate whicever benefit results in the highest award.

3. How do I make a claim?

You must complete and return an application form. The form can be used to claim council tax and housing benefit. You can download the form from this site or ask us to send it to you by post. You can also pick one up from a One Stop Shop, most registered social landlords and advice agencies or, if you are elderly or have mobility problems we can arrange a home visit. Please contact us on 0151 443 4042.

It is important that you return the form to us as soon as possible. The guidance notes with the form will tell you what documents you need to provide. If you don't have all the documents, you should still send us your application and let us know when you can provide the other information. You may lose benefit if you delay in returning the form.

Send your completed forms to Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Municipal Buildings, Cherryfield Drive, Kirkby, L33 1TX or hand it in to one of our One Stop Shops. Do not send valuable items in the post.

4. How much benefit will you pay?

It depends on your circumstances. For example, the amount of rent and council tax you pay, your income and savings, who lives in your home and the circumstances of those that live with you.

If you would like to know how much rent or council tax you should pay while you are waiting for us to assess your claim, then you can use our benefits calculator or contact us on 0151 443 4042 to work out a trial calculation. It does not guarantee the exact amount but it will give you an idea until your assessment is received.

5. How is council tax benefit paid?

It will be credited to your council tax account and you will receive a revised bill and a notification of how your benefit has been worked out.

6. What do you need to know when I claim benefit?

We need to confirm all of the information that you give us on the application form. In most cases we will need to see proof of your identity and National Insurance Number but we may also ask you for proof of income, savings and rent.

The guidance notes on the application form will tell you what you need to provide. We will only accept original documents. You can bring your documents into any of our One Stop Shops. Please do not send valuable documents through the post.

Sometimes, we can get proof of benefits and allowances from other government offices such as the Department for Work and Pensions and the Pension Service and we will try not to ask you to provide the same information to more than one office.

If you cannot provide the information, please contact us. It is important that you do not delay in returning your claim for benefit.

7. What documents do I need to provide?

For a new claim, we need to see proof of the following for you and your partner:

Proof of identity. You will need to provide 2 items which may include a passport, birth certificate, driving licence, or a recent utility bill.
National Insurance Number. You can find this on benefit books or letters from the Department of Work and Pensions, wage slips, P45 or P60 or a National Insurance card or letters from the tax office.
Savings and investments. We need to see up to date proof of all your bank and building society accounts, even if they are overdrawn. We will normally need to see two consecutive months of bank statements for each account. We also need to see proof of any stocks, unit trusts, shares, national savings or any other savings or investments that you have.
Income and benefits. We need to see 5 consecutive wage slips if you are paid weekly, or 2 if you are paid monthly. If you have just started work do not wait until you have these before claiming benefit. You can send us your first wage slip or ask your employer for a letter confirming what your wage will be. We can estimate your entitlement and revise the calculation when your payslips are available. If you can't find your payslips, ask us for a certificate of earnings to send to your employer. We also need to see proof of any benefits or other income you receive. This could include child benefit or tax credits. If you do not have the proof, we may be able to confirm the details with the relevant office. Please contact us for advice on 0151 443 4042.
Evidence of all income for anyone else who lives with you, for example, a relative or friend or.

8. Where can I take my documents to get them verified?

Do not send valuable documents through the post. You can take them to any of our One Stop Shops or registered social landlords and the staff will verify that they have seen the original document. They will take a copy and give the original back to you.

If you are elderly or have mobility problems please contact us on 0151 443 4042 and we will arrange to come out and verify the documents in your own home.

9. What date will my benefit be paid from?

We normally pay benefits from the Monday after the date we receive your benefit claim form. If you claim your benefit in the week in which you move into a property, then we can normally pay benefit from the start of your tenancy. In special circumstances we can backdate housing and council tax benefit for up to 52 weeks. You must ask us for this in writing and give us the reason why you were unable to claim earlier.

10. How can I speed up my benefit claim?

Make sure you complete all of the questions on the application form. Bring the form and your documents into one of our One Stop Shops and ask the customer services officer to check the form and verify the documents that you have brought in. If we ask you for any further information, bring it to us as soon as you can. The sooner you bring this information the quicker we can process your claim.

11. What if I don't agree with the amount of benefit awarded to me?

If you do not understand our decision you can follow the three steps below:

Ask us to explain it to you. This should be requested within one month of receiving our notification letter.

Ask us to look at the decision again.

In certain circumstances, you can appeal to an independent tribunal who can change the decision if they agree that it is wrong.

If you request information after the one month time limit, we may still explain our decision in more detail but may not look at our decision again if you later decide that it is wrong.

12. How can I appeal?

You can make an appeal to the Tribunal Service by downloading a benefit appeals form. Complete the form and the reasons for your appeal. It is important that you write down everything as the tribunal does not have to look at anything you do not mention. Once you have completed and signed the form, send it to us within one calendar month of the date on the notification letter. The Tribunal Service will decide on your appeal at a tribunal hearing.

If you need further help with appeals you can contact the following:

Kirkby One Stop Shop

Municipal Buildings, Cherryfield Drive, Kirkby, L32 1TX

The Appeals Service

36 Dale Street, Liverpool, L2 5UT
Telephone 0151 243 1400

13. Can I get a reduction on my council tax if I am not entitled to benefit?

Even if you do not qualify for council tax benefit you may be able to get a reduction on the amount of council tax that you need to pay. View our information about council tax discounts for more information.

Council tax benefit FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

See also