Can someone help me with Council Tax Reduction Form please

TomsMom

I'm helping someone to fill in a form for council tax reduction (he's dyslexic and finds forms like this difficult). I'm looking through the form and have got to "Part 4 - About Income Support, JSA, Pension Credit, ESA and Universal Credit".

He gets income related ESA so I can tick YES for that. Then it says "Answer both questions in this part then go to Part 11". The two questions are about whether you are currently receiving ESA or whether you are waiting to hear about a claim, so that's straightforward. If I go straight to Part 11 that's about where he lives so no problem with that.

My questions are about some of the parts that are supposed to be missed out (by going straight to Part 11) but do seem relevant, i.e.
Part 5 - About being self employed - he is normally but cannot work at the moment due to illness and waiting to see specialists and get treatment.
Part 8 - About benefits and pensions - he is getting Working Tax Credits which is in that list
Part 10 - About bank accounts, savings, etc. - he has no savings or investments but does have a current account where his ESA and WTC are paid in and a second current account which he uses to transfer money from the first account and then uses to pay his DDs for his bills.

So do I do exactly as it says on the form and go straight from Part 5 to Part 11 and leave out the information that would seem to be relevant to Parts 5, 8 and 10? Seems a bit strange to me, but I've never had any experience of any of these forms before. I'd obviously like to get it right first time so there's no delay for him.

pmlindyloo

TomsMom wrote: »

I'm helping someone to fill in a form for council tax reduction (he's dyslexic and finds forms like this difficult). I'm looking through the form and have got to "Part 4 - About Income Support, JSA, Pension Credit, ESA and Universal Credit".

He gets income related ESA so I can tick YES for that. Then it says "Answer both questions in this part then go to Part 11". The two questions are about whether you are currently receiving ESA or whether you are waiting to hear about a claim, so that's straightforward. If I go straight to Part 11 that's about where he lives so no problem with that.

My questions are about some of the parts that are supposed to be missed out (by going straight to Part 11) but do seem relevant, i.e.
Part 5 - About being self employed - he is normally but cannot work at the moment due to illness and waiting to see specialists and get treatment.
Part 8 - About benefits and pensions - he is getting Working Tax Credits which is in that list
Part 10 - About bank accounts, savings, etc. - he has no savings or investments but does have a current account where his ESA and WTC are paid in and a second current account which he uses to transfer money from the first account and then uses to pay his DDs for his bills.

So do I do exactly as it says on the form and go straight from Part 5 to Part 11 and leave out the information that would seem to be relevant to Parts 5, 8 and 10? Seems a bit strange to me, but I've never had any experience of any of these forms before. I'd obviously like to get it right first time so there's no delay for him.

The fact that he is getting income based ESA means that he has already been assessed as regards his savings and income so you do not need to complete Part 10.

Ditto part 5 as he is no longer counted as being self employed as he is unfit for work.

As regards part 8 and working tax credits I believe that this income is passed to the council automatically (the computer says 'yes' type thing_ and they will know that he is receiving working tax credits.

I presume this is because he is still counted as working as regards tax credits for so many weeks?

Do not complete part 8 as instructed.

However, to be on the safe side I would attach a covering note to say that they are receiving working tax credits at the rate of **** per ***

Hope this helps.

Newly_retired

Not 100% sure! but I am thinking that once he has declAred he is on income related ESA, he automatically qualifies for HB, and CTR, so other questions may not be necessary.

TomsMom

pmlindyloo wrote: »

The fact that he is getting income based ESA means that he has already been assessed as regards his savings and income so you do not need to complete Part 10.

Ditto part 5 as he is no longer counted as being self employed as he is unfit for work.

As regards part 8 and working tax credits I believe that this income is passed to the council automatically (the computer says 'yes' type thing_ and they will know that he is receiving working tax credits.

I presume this is because he is still counted as working as regards tax credits for so many weeks?

Do not complete part 8 as instructed.

However, to be on the safe side I would attach a covering note to say that they are receiving working tax credits at the rate of **** per ***

Hope this helps.

Yes, thank you so much Lindyloo, very helpful.

With regard to the WTC, IIRC information was given about what he's earned up to now. It's been complicated by the fact that he and his wife have split up and she's moved away with the children. She's now claiming the child tax credit herself and he's claiming WTC, whereas before it was a joint application. All the correct information was given regarding this, about how he is normally self-employed working an average of 40 hours per week but that he is unfit to work at the moment, awaiting specialist appointments, and he's sent off his doctors notes when issued. He now has a weekly amount going into his bank for the WTC and a fortnightly amount for the ESA. I'm trying to help him find out what help he's entitled to (and help with the forms) as the benefits he's currently getting don't cover his household bills.

I'll type him out a little note to attach to the form mentioning that he gets WTC.

Thanks again, much appreciated.

TomsMom

Newly_retired wrote: »

Not 100% sure! but I am thinking that once he has declAred he is on income related ESA, he automatically qualifies for HB, and CTR, so other questions may not be necessary.

Thanks. He wont get HB as he isn't in rented accommodation, he has a mortgage. I understand there's "Support for Mortgage Interest" which I'll get him to look into.

Housing_Benefit_Officer

He needs to inform HMRC when he ceased employment and claimed ESA.

TomsMom

Housing_Benefit_Officer wrote: »

He needs to inform HMRC when he ceased employment and claimed ESA.

He hasn't actually "ceased employment" by closing his business, if that's what you mean. He just can't work at the moment because he is not well and waiting to see specialists, get whatever treatment is necessary and get well. His GP wont let him drive nor work at the moment. As soon as he is fit for work again he will continue with his self employment.

In those circumstances does he still need to inform HMRC?

TomsMom

blondebubbles wrote: »

I'm not sure if you meant HMRC as in tax office or tax credits.

For tax credits he'd still count as working for 28 weeks when off sick. He'd need to call after the 28 weeks if he doesn't go back to work.

I'm not really au fait with all this as it's not something I've been involved with myself, I'm just trying to help someone out who's having difficulty understanding all the forms.

I've seen his letter from the Working Tax Credit people who have confirmed how much he is entitled to from the date of his claim to a date in 2015 (not sure of the exact date, early in the year, maybe April, presumably they normally work these things out based on the normal financial year???). He's had payments into his bank account, first one was a small lump sum backdated to the date of his claim, and since then the normal weekly amount which he will get for the time prescribed in his letter. I believe it says something about if his circumstances change then to inform them, which he would, of course, along with the ESA.

So if he's still not back at work after 28 weeks, or the time when his current claim runs out, then I assume he'd contact them to make a new claim.

Am I making sense and understanding it correctly? I don't want to give him any wrong information or get him into a pickle. My brain's turned to mush, too much form filling lately :rotfl: .

TomsMom

blondebubbles wrote: »

If he doesn't go back to work after 28 weeks sick absence, he needs to call and end his working tax credit claim. He then won't be able to claim again until he goes back to work (and meets the working hours/income criteria for his circumstances).

If he does go back to work before the 28 weeks is up then he doesn't need to call them about it.

Tax credit claimants get a annual review form every year (between April and June) to reapply for that year.

Ah right, OK, thanks for that. I'll check the date on his letter and also make a note for him to let them know when the 28 weeks are up, hopefully he'll be back at work by then anyway.

So do I need to ignore this post:

Housing_Benefit_Officer wrote: »

He needs to inform HMRC when he ceased employment and claimed ESA.

TomsMom

blondebubbles wrote: »

The date on the letter is irrelevant.

It's 28 weeks from when he last worked.

Ok, thanks. I'll check the dates next time I see him but I think there wasn't much time between when he last worked and the start of his WTC. He was already getting it anyway as part of a couple but he had to inform them to get it in his own name after his wife left. I'll work it out anyway and make a note for him, hopefully he wont be unfit for work for that long though. Gosh, that sounds complicated, but I know what I mean!!

I don't know about Housing Benefit Officers post as I don't know which dept he was referring to.

OK .

He can let tax credits know he is on ESA. Whether it makes a difference depends on his income he already declared to tax credits.

I'm pretty sure they already know, from what I remember of being there when he made some of the phone calls.

Thanks for your help .