Loosing council tax reduction due to migration to UC

kazze12

KxMx said:

TimeLord1 said:

What caused your migration notice if your ESA is all contribution related and you don't mention housing benefit. Was you receiving disability income guarantee also ?

Previous ESA IR +CB turns into UC & New Style ESA after migration. 
UC replaces the IR & CB converts automatically into NS ESA. 

This has happened to me. I notified the council when I was aware of the NS ESA, (didn’t even know I was getting CB ESA) but they have sent a letter and my council support remains the same.

Br246

Happened to myself also and to have to find -142.00 a month.  Contacted Somerset council and universal credit neither wanted to help.  This is very stressful and not sure what to do !! I didn’t think anyone was supposed to be worse off migrating so how how’s so many of us are.  

KxMx

Council Tax Reduction is decided on at a local level and each local authority has different rules for this. Administered and paid for by the individual local authority. 

Universal Credit is a DWP benefit.

Unfortunately the "no worse off" applies to DWP benefits only. 

Br246

Is there anything I can do to get the council to recognise that I’m not earning anything as I’m disabled claiming also enhanced PIP   Is is this transitional top up given to us on migration from ESA that’s causing the problem!?  I don’t mind chipping in a bit of CT but 142 a month is steep ! 

KxMx

In some cases yes it's the Transitional Protection that causes the issue.

Some councils actually count PIP now as income too. 

You could speak to a local welfare rights organisation. 

https://advicefinder.turn2us.org.uk/

Rubyroobs

KxMx said:

In some cases yes it's the Transitional Protection that causes the issue.

Some councils actually count PIP now as income too. 

You could speak to a local welfare rights organisation. 

https://advicefinder.turn2us.org.uk/

KxMx said:

In some cases yes it's the Transitional Protection that causes the issue.

Some councils actually count PIP now as income too. 

You could speak to a local welfare rights organisation. 

https://advicefinder.turn2us.org.uk/

Yes we are having lots of problems in Leicester city with PIP being now counted as income. Lots of people have lost any entitlement to council tax support. 

HillStreetBlues

Rubyroobs said:

Yes we are having lots of problems in Leicester city with PIP being now counted as income. Lots of people have lost any entitlement to council tax support. 

The MP for Leicester South raised that issue in parliament  https://hansard.parliament.uk/commons/2025-05-07/debates/AF9A4463-0EB6-426A-AAD4-BB78FA659B82/PersonalIndependencePaymentDisabledPeople

Shockat Adam

(Leicester South) (Ind)

Does the right hon. Member agree that PIP is not an income, and that those councils that count it as income should be called out? Leicester city council counts PIP as income.

Although it is income, it should be disregarded IMO.

Jackie1813

The problem is all councils are struggling and a lot of hard working people are struggling  too. It is the affordability of all the reductions that is causing the issue and councils are having to reduce the number of people they can help. Not saying it is right but it is how it is.

NedS

Jackie1813 said:

The problem is all councils are struggling and a lot of hard working people are struggling  too. It is the affordability of all the reductions that is causing the issue and councils are having to reduce the number of people they can help. Not saying it is right but it is how it is.

Yes, and if a household has X amount of income, what difference does it make where that income has come from - benefits, earnings or a mixture of both. They both have the same amount of income available, why should they not pay the same amount towards their Council services?

I accept that disabled people, who have received a disability benefit to help with the higher costs incurred by their disability should have that income disregarded, but I see no reason to disregard UC and other general benefit payments if they fall above the low income threshold for Council tax reduction. Those with genuinely low income should be protected by the low income threshold when calculating entitlement to council tax reduction.

Unfortunately Council tax reduction is just pushing the costs onto our neighbours who end up paying higher council tax as a result. I don't mind paying higher taxes to support those who are vulnerable, but I object to paying more tax when someone else with the same amount of income pays none.