Council tax reduction
The council tax reduction (CTR) scheme can provide help with council tax costs. The amount of reduction you receive will depend on your circumstances, including your income, savings, members of your household and council tax band.
To find out more about the council tax reduction scheme, download our factsheet - see the downloads section.
For more information, you can also download a copy of the full council tax reduction scheme.
If you wish to apply for a council tax discount (including single person discount) or exemption, you can check your eligibility online.
Use the Benefits calculator to find out if you qualify. The calculator can be used to assess entitlement to housing benefit and council tax reduction. It is only an estimate based on the information you supply.
If you believe you qualify for council tax reduction, you can make a claim online.
Use our online form to make a claim.
At the completion of the e-form, you will be presented with a page that asks you to provide us with evidence to support your new claim. A full list of documents we may ask you for can be found in our evidence factsheet. Any delay in providing the evidence we ask for will delay your payment.
You can provide proof:
- By emailing your scanned documents to benefits@wiltshire.gov.uk
- Include your claim reference number or National Insurance number
- The document or photo should be less than 10mb in size
- By post including your claim reference number or National Insurance number to Wiltshire Council, Revenues and Benefits, Monkton Park, Chippenham, SN15 1ER
If you are claiming Universal Credit, and wish to apply for council tax reduction, you should indicate on the online Universal Credit claim that you intend to apply for council tax reduction. The Department for Work and Pensions should then share your data with the council to allow council tax reduction to be calculated.
If you are unable to make a claim using the e-form, we can also accept telephone claims, please contact us on 0300 456 0110 to make a claim.
Tell us immediately if something changes
If there are any changes in your household or personal circumstances after you make an application for housing benefit and/or council tax reduction, you must let us know immediately. Don't rely on someone else to tell us.
How to tell us about a change
The easiest way to let us know is to phone us on 0300 456 0110 and tell us what has changed. We will then be able to tell you if we need you to send us evidence of the change, or we might be able to change your claim without you needing to do anything else. If you are unable to phone us, see other ways you can contact us - see below.
Providing proof there has been a change
When reporting a change of circumstance, you may need to provide proof of the change and when it happened.
You can provide proof:
- By emailing your scanned documents to benefits@wiltshire.gov.uk
- Include Include your claim reference number or National Insurance number
- The document or photo should be less than 10mb in size
- By post including your claim reference number or National insurance number to Wiltshire council, Revenues and Benefits, Monkton Park, Chippenham SN15 1ER
If you disagree with a decision about your council tax reduction (CTR) claim, you can request more information about the decision or appeal.
I don't understand the decision
When we have dealt with your claim for CTR, we will send you a decision letter. This letter will explain the information we have used to work out your reduction. You should check the letter carefully. If you do not understand the decision and want it explained, please contact us straight away.
I'm not happy with the decision
If you are unhappy with the decision, you must write to us within one month asking for it to be looked at again. This is called a reconsideration. When you write to us, you must tell us:
- Your full name and address.
- The address that the appeal relates to.
- The grounds on which you are unhappy with the decision.
- Reasons why you consider that the decision or calculation made by the council was incorrect.
We will look at your claim and advise you in writing of the outcome within one month of receiving your request for reconsideration. If the decision is not changed in your favour, you will have the right to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal for England within two months of the date of the reconsideration.
I want to appeal
If you want to appeal, you must contact the Valuation Tribunal for England.
