Contents
- Introduction
- What is the fund for?
- Who can apply?
- How applications work
- How decisions are made
- Amount and duration of awards
- Appeals and complaints
- How to apply
Introduction
The Council Tax Discretionary Fund provides short term financial assistance to residents who receive Council Tax Reduction but are still unable to meet the full cost of their Council Tax due to exceptional hardship or exceptional circumstances.
This fund is discretionary, which means:
- support is not guaranteed,
- decisions are based on individual circumstances,
- the fund is cash limited each year, and
- awards are made at the Council’s discretion.
This summary outlines the main points. For full details, please read the complete policy.
What is the fund for?
The fund helps residents who are experiencing:
- Exceptional hardship, meaning financial difficulty beyond what would normally be expected, or
- Exceptional circumstances, such as a successful Council Tax Reduction appeal or unavoidable financial events.
Awards are:
- usually short term,
- often paid as a credit directly to your Council Tax account,
- only to help with Council Tax, not other debts,
- limited to the current financial year.
Who can apply?
To qualify, you must:
- have a valid Council Tax Reduction (CTR) claim in place,
- still be unable to meet your remaining Council Tax liability,
- be experiencing hardship or exceptional circumstances.
In some exceptional situations (e.g. where Government provides additional funding), the Council may relax some of the normal requirements).
How applications work
Applicants must:
- submit a separate application for the Council Tax Discretionary Fund,
- provide full details and evidence of their income, expenditure, savings, and financial commitments,
- engage with the process fully and respond to requests for information,
- ensure all discounts, exemptions, and benefits they are entitled to have been claimed,
- agree to receive budgeting or money advice where recommended,
- take reasonable steps to reduce non essential spending.
How decisions are made
Each application is assessed on its own merits. When considering a request, the Council may look at:
- the shortfall between CTR and Council Tax liability,
- household income, savings, debts and outgoings,
- health issues, disabilities, or other personal circumstances,
- whether the applicant has tried to manage or improve their situation,
- whether the applicant has applied for all relevant income/benefits,
- whether a Crisis and Resilience Fund Housing Payment or other support has already been awarded,
- the length of time the applicant has lived in the property,
- overall demand for the fund in the financial year.
Some circumstances cannot be supported - for example, where full CTR already covers the liability, where hardship is due to benefit sanctions, or where the applicant has not supplied required evidence.
Amount and duration of awards
- Award amounts and durations are entirely at the Council’s discretion.
- Awards cannot extend beyond the end of the financial year.
- Awards are paid directly to the applicant’s Council Tax account.
- A previous award does not guarantee future support.
- If circumstances change, awards may be revised or withdrawn.
Overpayments and fraud
- Overpaid awards will normally be recovered through the Council Tax account.
- Fraudulent claims may lead to investigation and prosecution under the Fraud Act 2006.
Appeals and complaints
There is no formal appeals process for Council Tax Discretionary Fund decisions. However:
- you may ask the Council to review the decision,
- a different officer will reconsider the case,
- further evidence may be requested,
- if you remain dissatisfied, you may use the Council’s Complaints Procedure.
How to apply
If you need help completing the form, contact:
Money Advisors
Telephone: 01909 533744
Email: money.advice@bassetlaw.gov.uk
Further support is available through Citizens Advice North Notts.
Last Updated on Wednesday, April 1, 2026