If you will get council tax reduction within the next 13 weeks, you can claim it in advance. The local authority can then treat your claim as being made on the first day you will qualify. This rule does not apply if you live abroad.

Sometimes, your council tax reduction can start before the day you claim it, if you were liable for council tax before this date.

  • If you get a passporting benefit and claim council tax reduction within one month of claiming the passporting benefit, your council tax reduction claim is treated as made on the same day your passporting benefit starts.
  • If you already get a passporting benefit on the day you are first liable for council tax, and you claim council tax reduction within one month of becoming liable, your claim is treated as made on the day you first became liable.
  • If your partner dies or you separate, and they got council tax reduction, your claim is treated as made on the date of the death or separation. This only applies if you claim within a month of the change.
  • If you are over pension age, your entitlement can be ‘backdated’ up to three months before the date your claim was treated as made. You do not need to explain why you did not apply sooner.
  • If you are under pension age, your entitlement can be ‘backdated’ up to six months before the date your claim was treated as made. This only applies if you have ‘continuous good cause’ for not applying sooner.

If you think the rules above apply, you should tell the local authority when you want to claim council tax reduction from, and why you didn't claim it sooner if you are under pension age. If the local authority doesn't backdate your claim, you can challenge that decision.

Passporting benefits

If you get a ‘passporting benefit’ you automatically get your maximum council tax reduction. The passporting benefits are pension credit and income-related employment and support allowance.