Information on the changes to Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support from 1 April 2024
Why has my Council Tax Support increased?
From 1 April 2024 we have introduced a Council Tax Support scheme which covers up to 100% of your council tax bill (depending on your income). Before this we would only cover up to 84% of your council tax bill.
This will affect people who are working age, but who were not previously in a Protected Group.
Where this affects you, we have made the change automatically and adjusted your new council tax bill.
More information on our Council Tax Support Scheme is available on our Council tax support page.
I have over £6,000 in money and savings – can I get Council Tax Support?
From April 2024 you can apply for Council Tax Support if your total capital (money, savings and investments) is below £16,000. For some people this limit was £6,000 but this has increased from April 2024.
You can check how much you may be able to claim using our Benefit calculator. If you think you may qualify you will need to make a new claim.
Why are you deducting a different amount for my non-dependant?
From April 2024 we have changed the amount we reduce your weekly Council Tax Support by for a non-dependant (someone over 18 living in your household). These are now the same as the deductions used for the national Council Tax Support scheme.
Full details on the amounts we deduct is available on our Council tax support - non-dependants page.
Have Local Housing Allowance rates increased?
The government has increased the Local Housing Allowance rates from 1 April 2024. This means you may get more Housing Benefit. These rates were last increased in April 2020.
Full details on the new rates is available on our Local housing allowance page. If your claim is affected we will automatically recalculate your Housing Benefit award.
Will my other benefits go up in April?
The government has increased most benefits for working age people by 6.7% from April 2024, with a few exceptions.
The State Pension has increased by 8.5% and other Pension Age benefits have also increased.
Full details are available on the DWP’s website.
I rent from a Housing Association – why has my rent gone up?
Housing Associations can only increase their rents by a certain amount, set by government. This is normally linked to inflation, plus a small extra amount.
For 2024/2025 the maximum rent increase for a Housing Association is 7.7%. Service charges are not covered by this cap, but Housing Associations are encouraged to keep to this limit.