Housing benefit and Council Tax reduction

Housing Benefit/Council Tax reduction are means tested to help people on low income to pay their rent/Council Tax.

If you pay both rent and council tax, you can apply for both Housing Benefit and Council Tax reduction at the same time with one claim form.

Making a claim

If you are not already claiming Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction in South Ayrshire you can now use our online application to see how much you may be entitled to and easily submit your claim online. Once your claim is made, you will be given an Evidence Checklist, please be sure to print or save this document to remind you of the evidence required to fully assess your claim. We recommend that you provide this information immediately to avoid delay in receiving your possible entitlement.

For those who are already in receipt of Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction in South Ayrshire, you can use our online calculator to work out how much you may be entitled to should your circumstances change or you move address. Please note however, once your entitlement results are displayed, you are not required to proceed and submit a new application. You should contact your local benefits team who will advise you on how to report your change in circumstances.

Changes in circumstances

If you are getting Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax reduction and you move to a new address or other circumstances change, you should tell us straightaway. Examples of changes are:

• Changes in income for yourself and/or partner separately or jointly, particularly changes in earnings or self-employed earnings and occupational pensions
• Changes to childcare costs
• Changes in the number of people living in your household
• Anyone living with you and not receiving full time education, reaching 18 years of age
• Any child who stops full-time education or takes up full time education
• Anyone living in your household who starts to receive or stops receiving Income Support, Job Seekers Allowance (Income Based) or Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related)
• Anyone living in your household who becomes employed or self employed
• If you change your address
• If you and/or your partner go into hospital
• If your rent changes

Review of your entitlement

If you are getting Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction, the Council's Benefit Service may review your claim to ensure you are continuing to receive the correct amount of benefit and/or reduction.

If your claim is selected for review, the Benefits Service will contact you by letter or email and advise you to log into the Council's website to complete an online form.  Your letter or email will contain your claim reference number and you will need this to complete your form online.   

Completing the online form is the quickest way to confirm your current circumstances and information.  If you don't have online access, please ask a family member, friend, or where relevant a support/social worker to help you. 

When you complete the online form you will receive an acknowledgement that your form has been received.

Our staff will review your claim as quickly as possible and we will contact you if we require any additional information.

When you complete an application, we will only gather the minimum amount of information we need to review your entitlement.  Full details of how we will use your data can be found on our Privacy Notice at www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/privacy-notices

If you have received a letter or email advising you that Benefit Services requires to review your claim, you should now complete the online form

Where to get more information

If you are unable to find the information you are looking for online please contact benefits team for further advice on Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction.