Skip to main content

Changes to Council Tax benefit

By

As part of the changes brought about by both the Welfare Reform Act 2012 and the Local Government Finance Act 2012, Council Tax Benefit is being abolished.

If after reading the information below you think you are going to be affected and would like more information please get in touch with me by email or phone. Alternatively you can call the Rethink Mental Illness Advice and Information Service on 0300 5000 927.

Each local authority has been tasked with devising their own replacement for the benefit which will be known as Council Tax Support. Money will be provided from central Government to run the scheme however it will be 10% less than is currently provided.

What could this mean for me?
As they are all getting less money than previously, all councils will be trying to save money and so will be looking at different ways they could do this.
A number of local authorities have already stated that they will charge everyone of working age some council tax even if under the previous system the person would have been entitled to full Council Tax Benefit and therefore didn‟t have to make a contribution.
Others may change the thresholds for capital and savings when assessing for Council Tax Support so people who have less than £16,000 which would have seen them eligible for Council Tax Benefit may have to pay something or more towards their council tax bill.
Others may change the way that income is viewed when calculating how much support is available. For example, in the current system there are certain benefits that are ignored. In the new system these benefits may be taken into account as income and therefore impact on how much Council Tax Support is available.

Is this affecting everyone?
These changes should only affect working age claimants.
Anyone who has reached the Pension Credit qualifying age will get the same entitlement as they do under the current Council Tax Benefit rules.

When is this happening?
April 2013

How can I find out what is happening in my area?
You may have already been contacted by your local council to advise about the changes and ask for your opinion on any new scheme they are thinking of implementing.
If you have access to the internet you can check either the outcome of any consultation your local council has held or what system they have decided to implement by searching for your particular local authority on this website: http://www.rightsnet.org.uk/toolkit/council_tax_support#England
If you do not have access to the internet you could telephone your local council and ask to be put through to the team who can advise you on the new Council Tax Support scheme in your area.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Update on closure of MRI inpatient services

By
The NHS North West Board has approved the capital funding for Manchester Mental Health and Social Care Trust's Inpatient Pathway Redesign (IPR) Project. See the Trust's website for more information about this . This means that the Trust will now proceed with plans to relocate its inpatient services to two sites from the current three. The change will result in the inpatient beds that are currently at Edale House at Manchester Royal Infirmary being relocated to Park House on the North Manchester General Hospital site. The Trust says: "This will give us unprecedented opportunities to improve care to our service users and their carers." When the Trust announced its intention to close the inpatient unit at MRI we wrote to the Manchester Evening News to express our concerns about the extra burden this would place on some carers in terms of extra travelling time. The Trust's latest communication about the IPR states that: "The work in addressing concerns about ...
4 comments
Read more

What an inspiring evening!

By
We had our 'Bring and Share' event tonight and as well as eating too much chocolate (again) I've come away feeling really inspired. We talked about all the skills, experience and knowledge that we've gained by either coping with having a mental illness, or though caring for a loved one who has been very ill. You can see all the ideas we jotted down from the discussion - from coming to understand your limitations (and that these can change), to developing patience, coping strategies and learning how to think positively. We understand how mental health services work and different illnesses themselves. It struck me, particularly from the people in the room who themselves have to deal with what can be devastating mental illnesses, that we're a pretty skilled bunch of people. For some, mental illness forces a process of self examination - and eventually self awareness - that is painful but hugely illuminating. It's a process that many of us won't have to go throu...
2 comments
Read more

Meeting this Thursday 8th August

By
We'll be meeting this Thursday 8th August at the usual time of 6 -7:30pm at the Old Bank Building on Hanover Street in the city centre. All welcome - just turn up, there's no need for a referral or to let us know in advance (unless you'd like to). Our speaker this month is Emily Eisner, a PhD Researcher running a study called ExPRESS:2. She is based at the Clinical Psychology Department of the University of Manchester. In her recent research, she tested out a smartphone app called ‘ExPRESS’, which aims to help people with psychosis stay well. You can read about it here . She is planning her next research study and would really value some input from people with lived experience of mental health issues, especially those with experience of psychosis and their friends and family. We also have a group social event coming up on Sunday 18th August. We'll catch a train out to Hebden Bridge, walk back along the canal to Todmorden then catch the train back to Manchester. Ple...
1 comment
Read more