New Working Age Council Tax Reduction Scheme agreed
At Full Council on 10 December 2024, councillors approved a new Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) for working age claimants which will help over 7,000 working age residents with their Council tax bills. The new CTRS will come into effect from 1 April 2025.
You may qualify for council tax reduction if:
- you are responsible for paying the council tax bill
- you are on a low income or claiming benefits
You cannot get council tax reduction if you or your partner jointly, have more than £16,000 in savings and capital. However, if you are in receipt of Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit) you may still qualify.
You can use the online benefits calculator at GOV.UK to get an estimate of what you could get.
Second adult reduction
If you are of pensionable age you may be able to claim second adult reduction. This is a reduction in your council tax that can be provided if you have another adult living with you who:
- is 18 or over
- is not your partner
- doesn’t have to pay you rent or board
- is on a low income or gets certain benefits
- doesn't have joint responsibility with you for paying council tax
You can check your state pension age at Gov.UK.
You must apply for the reduction rather than the second adult
How much second adult reduction will you get?
If the second adult is on benefits
If the second adult in your home is getting one of the following benefits, you will get a 25% reduction on your eligible council tax:
- Income Support
- Pension Credit
- Job Seekers Allowance (income based)
- Employment and Support Allowance (income related)
If the second adult isn't on one of the benefits listed above
- if the second adult's gross weekly income is up to £264.99, you will get a 15% reduction on your council tax
- if their gross weekly income is between £265.00 and £343.99, you will get a 7.5% reduction
- if their gross weekly income is more than £344.00 you won't be entitled to a second adult reduction
How to apply
You can apply for council tax reduction online.
Apply for council tax reduction
Alternatively please telephone Solihull Connect on 0121 704 8200 if you have any queries regarding completion of the form.
You can view a full copy of our council tax reduction scheme for 2024/25.
Changes to your circumstances
You must let us know about a change in circumstances straight away. Failure to do so could result in an overpayment of reduction which will have to be repaid and your claim may be cancelled.
Fraud
If you know or suspect someone is committing fraud you can easily and anonymously report it.
Council tax reduction scheme from previous years
New Working Age Council Tax Reduction Scheme agreed
At Full Council on 10 December 2024, councillors approved a new Council Tax Reduction Scheme (CTRS) for working age claimants which will help over 7,000 working age residents with their Council tax bills. The new CTRS will come into effect from 1 April 2025.
The new working age CTRS is more directly linked to Universal Credit, so that people receiving Universal Credit will automatically receive the appropriate Council Tax reduction, improving the speed of response for those that are eligible.
The new simplified scheme is based on an income banded grid model. The income bands shown below is the net income that will be used. We will be disregarding (ignoring) some income such as income received from disability benefits (Personal Independence Payments and Disability Living Allowance) and income from child benefit and child maintenance. We will also disregard income from carers allowance and war pensions. A full list of the income we will be disregarding will be available soon and before the scheme comes into effect from 1 April 2025.
| Discount level | Passported | Single | Single with 1 Child | Single with 2+ Children | Couples | Couple with 1 Child | Couple with 2+ Children |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly Income Levels (Net) | |||||||
| Band 1 85% |
Relevant Benefit | £0.00 to £125.00 | £0.00 to £225.00 | £0.00 to £325.00 | £0.00 to £175.00 | £0.00 to £225.00 | £0.00 to £325.00 |
| Band 2 75% |
N/A | £125.01 to £175.00 | £225.01 to £275.00 | £325.01 to £375.00 | £175.01 to £225.00 | £225.01 to £275.00 | £325.01 to £375.00 |
| Band 3 50% |
N/A | >£175.01 to £225.00 | £275.01 to £325.00 | £375.01 to £425.00 | £225.01 to £275.00 | £275.01 to £325.00 | £375.01 to £425.00 |
| Band 4 25% |
N/A | £225.01 to £275.00 | £325.01 to £375.00 | £425.01 to £475.00 | £275.01 to £325.00 | £325.01 to £375.00 | £425.01 to £475.00 |
If you are already receiving CTRS from Solihull Council your award will automatically be updated from 1 April 2025.
For anyone experiencing financial difficulties please visit our here to help pages for advice and support.