Brentwood Borough Council Council Tax and Benefits

Council Tax and Benefits

Council Tax is a local tax set by local councils to help pay for local services.

There will be one bill per dwelling whether the dwelling (house, bungalow, flat, maisonette, mobile home or houseboat) is owner-occupied or rented.

Owner-occupiers or resident tenants (including council tenants) usually have to pay the tax. In some special cases the owner, not the resident, has to pay the Council Tax, such as dwellings occupied by more than one household, where residents pay rent separately for different parts of the dwelling. If a property is empty, or it is no one’s main home, the owner is responsible for the bill.

The bill will be based on the relative value of your dwelling compared to others in the local area. There is a discount scheme where only one adult lives in a dwelling. The bill may also be reduced where people with disabilities live in a dwelling, and people on low income may be entitled to Council Tax benefit.

Local Housing Allowance
The Local Housing Allowance scheme (known as LHA) is to be introduced nationally from 7 April 2008. It will affect new Housing Benefit claims and changes of address for private sector tenants, although there are certain exclusions from the scheme such as supported housing and Bed and Breakfast accommodation.

Two key aspects of the LHA scheme are that:

• There will be 'standard rates' of allowance depending on the number of bedrooms a household requires, published monthly in advance.
• In most cases, LHA will be paid direct to the tenant rather than to the landlord.

Although the regulations state that default payment of LHA will be made direct to the tenant, a ' Safeguard Policy' to protect vulnerable tenants who have difficulty with their financial affairs, has been drawn up. Applications can be made to pay LHA to the landlord in these cases.

What is Local Housing Allowance?
Local Housing Allowance (LHA) is a new way of working out new claims for Housing Benefit for tenants renting accommodation from a private landlord. It also affects tenants already getting Housing Benefit who move to accommodation rented from a private landlord. LHA is being introduced on  7 April 2008.

With Local Housing Allowance, your benefit is not based on the property you live in.

It is based on:

• who lives with you;
• which area you live in;
• how much money you have coming in; and
• what savings you have.

In some cases the amount of benefit you are entitled to will be affected by other things.

These can include: 

• how much your rent is; and
• whether anyone living with you is expected to contribute to your rent.

For more information on the Local Housing Allowance, please see the separate LHA section or contact the Benefits Section on 01277 312831.

Online services

• View Council Tax balance
• Pay Council Tax
• Report Benefit Fraud