COVID-19 extra help.

Due to the impact of Covid-19, additional help has been made available to support residents.

Test and Trace Support Payments.

The government have announced a new Covid support package to support and enforce residents to self-isolate.

From the 28th September 2020, a new Covid package to support and enforce self-isolation for those on lower incomes asked to self-isolate by law may be eligible to claim a support payment of £500 from Bromsgrove District Council.

Please see our Test and Trace Support Payments page for more information about the scheme and how to apply.

Additional Help for Customers Claiming Council Tax Support (CTS) is now in place.

For all our working age customers claiming Council Tax Support your Council Tax bill has now been recalculated to include the extra Covid-19 support made available through the governments Covid-19 package.

A further reduction of £150 has now been applied to the 2020/21 Council Tax Bills for all eligible accounts.

If the balance of your council tax bill is £150 or less we have credited your account until your Council Tax bill is zero.

You may receive less than £150 if your entitlement to Council Tax Support starts after 1 April 2020.

This means you will...

• Be sent an updated bill with the revised amount of Council Tax you need to pay.
• A letter from us to explain the reasons for your updated Council Tax bill.

These updated bills and supporting letters are scheduled to be sent out Tuesday 16 June 2020.

All additional help with Council Tax and Housing Benefit from the government will be processed automatically. You do not need to do anything or contact us. We will write to tell you about your revised council tax bill and/or housing benefit awards.

If you do not claim Council Tax Support (CTS) and your income has been reduced due to the impact of the coronavirus crisis you may be able to get some help towards your council tax bill through our Council Tax Support scheme. You can check if you are eligible and how to apply at our Council Tax Support page.

Please sign up to online e-billing to get your amended Council Tax bill quicker and more efficiently.

Additional help with Housing Benefit

• Working Tax Credits are being increased from April to £3,040 per year. Where you or your partner work 16 hours or more per week and you are or would be entitled to Working Tax Credit, we’ll recalculate your Housing Benefit entitlement to ensure you do not lose out in your Housing Benefit due to this increase.
• Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates are being increased from April to cover up to 30% of the market rent in your area. The new LHA rates are shown here.

More Coronavirus information

For Coronavirus updates from our benefits services during the outbreak, press here.

Bromsgrove District Council is working with partners and key agencies to stay up to date in receiving top-level guidance on Coronavirus, and will be taking appropriate action across its services as required. To check wider service updates during the outbreak please visit www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/coronavirus.