Council Tax Reduction (CTR) can be claimed by people on a low income to help pay their Council Tax. It is calculated using the income and household details of the claimant (and partner if they have one) and other family members living with them. Changes in income, even very small changes, and changes in houseMagnificenthold makeup will often change entitlement.
Central government sets the rules for all pension-age households, including who can claim and how, so the Council can only change the Council Tax Reduction scheme for working age claimants.
As at September 2026, Eastleigh Borough Council has around 5,000 households receiving Council Tax Reduction. Of these, around 3,000 are working age households who receive support under the Council's local scheme. The remaining pension-age households receive support under the nationally prescribed scheme, which is not affected by this consultation.
We are legally required to consult on any proposed changes to the scheme. We are asking you to take part in this consultation to find out what you think about our proposed Council Tax Reduction Scheme, which would start from 1 April 2027. We want to:
- simplify the scheme and make it easier to understand and access;
- reduce the number of changes to Council Tax Reduction awards and associated Council Tax bills caused by small, frequent changes in Universal Credit;
- support work by introducing greater standard earnings disregards;
- continue to protect disabled applicants and war pensioners;
- remove the current Band D restriction so support is based on the household's actual Council Tax charge; and
- reduce the administrative cost of running the scheme.
Thank you for taking the time to share your views. It should take around 10–15 minutes to fill in this consultation. The last day for submitting responses is 12:00pm (midday) on Monday 23 November 2026.
