Council Tax and Housing Benefit: Pensioners
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what guidance has been issued to local authorities to ensure they are aware of, and are actively reassessing, potential underpayment of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Reduction for pensioners affected by new income tax liabilities.
Answered by Alison McGovern
Billing authorities are responsible for assessing the income and circumstances of pensioners in receipt of a council tax reduction in accordance with the legislation and for ensuring that they are billed correctly. As with pension age council tax reduction, entitlement to Housing Benefit is calculated on the basis of the net income an individual receives from earnings, self-employment, occupational pensions and the actual value of DWP benefits which are received.
The Government reviews and uprates benefits each year and updates the eligibility criteria for pension-age Local Council Tax Support to reflect this.
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