Gateshead Council Local Council Tax Support Scheme 2024/25

Chapter 1 - Extended relations: pensioners

90 Extended reductions: pensioners

Paragraphs 91 to 96 apply in relation to applicants who are pensioners.

91 Extended reduction (qualifying contributory benefits): pensioners

(1) Except in the case of an applicant who is in receipt of state pension credit, an applicant who is entitled to a reduction under a scheme by virtue of falling into classes A to C shall be entitled to an extended reduction (qualifying contributory benefits) where—
(a) the applicant or the applicant's partner was entitled to a qualifying contributory benefit;
(b) entitlement to a qualifying contributory benefit ceased because the applicant or the applicant's partner—
(i) commenced employment as an employed or self-employed earner;
(ii) increased their earnings from such employment; or
(iii) increased the number of hours worked in such employment, and that employment is or, as the case may be, increased earnings or increased number of hours are expected to last five weeks or more;
(c) the applicant or the applicant's partner had been entitled to and in receipt of a qualifying contributory benefit or a combination of qualifying contributory benefits for a continuous period of at least 26 weeks before the day on which the entitlement to a qualifying contributory benefit ceased; and
(d) the applicant or the applicant's partner was not entitled to and not in receipt of a qualifying income-related benefit in the last reduction week in which the applicant, or the applicant's partner, was entitled to a qualifying contributory benefit.

(2) An applicant must be treated as entitled to a reduction under an authority's scheme by virtue of falling within any of classes A to C where—
(a) the applicant ceased to be entitled to a reduction under the authority's scheme because the applicant vacated the dwelling in which the applicant was resident;
(b) the day on which the applicant vacated the dwelling was either in the week in which entitlement to a qualifying contributory benefit ceased, or in the preceding week; and
(c) entitlement to the qualifying contributory benefit ceased in any of the circumstances listed in subparagraph (1)(b).

92 Duration of extended reduction period (qualifying contributory benefits): pensioners

(1) Where an applicant is entitled to an extended reduction (qualifying contributory benefits), the extended reduction period starts on the first day of the reduction week immediately following the reduction week in which the applicant, or the applicant's partner, ceased to be entitled to a qualifying contributory benefit.

(2) For the purpose of sub-paragraph (1), an applicant or an applicant's partner ceases to be entitled to a qualifying contributory benefit on the day immediately following the last day of entitlement to that benefit.

(3) The extended reduction period ends—
(a) at the end of a period of four weeks; or
(b) on the date on which the applicant who is receiving the extended reduction (qualifying contributory benefits) has no liability for Council Tax, if that occurs first.

93 Amount of extended reduction (qualifying contributory benefits): pensioners

(1) For any week during the extended reduction period the amount of the extended reduction (qualifying contributory benefits) the applicant is entitled to shall be the greater of—
(a) the amount of the reduction under the authority's scheme to which the applicant was entitled by virtue of falling within any of classes A to C in the last reduction week before the applicant or the applicant's partner ceased to be entitled to a qualifying contributory benefit;
(b) the amount of reduction under the authority's scheme to which the applicant would be entitled by virtue of falling within any of classes A to C for any reduction week during the extended reduction period, if paragraph 91 (extended reductions (qualifying contributory benefits)) did not apply to the applicant; or
(c) the amount of reduction under the authority's scheme to which the applicant's partner would be entitled by virtue of falling within any of classes A to C, if paragraph 91 did not apply to the applicant.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply in the case of a mover.

(3) Where an applicant is in receipt of an extended reduction (qualifying contributory benefits) under this paragraph and the applicant's partner makes a claim for a reduction under the authority's scheme, no reduction shall be awarded during the extended reduction period.

94 Extended reductions (qualifying contributory benefits) - movers: pensioners

(1) This paragraph applies—
(a) to a mover; and
(b) from the Monday following the day of the move.

(2) The amount of the extended reduction (qualifying contributory benefit) awarded from the Monday from which this paragraph applies until the end of the extended reduction period shall be the amount of reduction under the authority's ("the first authority") scheme which was payable to the mover for the last reduction week before the mover, or the mover's partner, ceased to be entitled to a qualifying contributory benefit.

(3) Where a mover's liability to pay Council Tax in respect of the new dwelling is to a second authority, the extended reduction (qualifying contributory benefits) may take the form of a payment from the first authority to—
(a) the second authority; or
(b) the mover directly.

95 Relationship between extended reduction (qualifying contributory benefits) and entitlement to a reduction by virtue of classes A to C: pensioners

(1) Where an applicant's reduction under an authority's scheme would have ended when the applicant ceased to be entitled to a qualifying contributory benefit in the circumstances listed in paragraph 91(1)(b), that reduction will not cease to have effect until the end of the extended reduction period.

(2) Part 13 (period of entitlement, changes of circumstances and increases for exceptional circumstances) shall not apply to any extended reduction (qualifying contributory benefits) payable in accordance with paragraph 93(1)(a) or paragraph 94(2) (amount of extended reduction: movers).

96 Continuing reductions where state pension credit claimed

(1) This paragraph applies where—
(a) the applicant is entitled to a reduction under an authority's scheme;
(b) sub-paragraph (2) is satisfied; and
(c) either—
(i) the applicant has attained the qualifying age for state pension credit; or
(ii) the applicant's partner has actually claimed state pension credit.

(2) This sub-paragraph is only satisfied if the Secretary of State has certified to that authority that the applicant's partner has actually claimed state pension credit or that—
(a) the applicant's award of—
(i) income support has terminated because the applicant has attained the qualifying age for state pension credit; or
(ii) income-based jobseeker's allowance or income-related employment and support allowance
has terminated because the applicant has attained the qualifying age for state pension credit; and
(b) the applicant has claimed or is treated as having claimed or is required to make a claim for state pension credit.

(3) Subject to sub-paragraph (4), in a case to which this paragraph applies, a reduction under the authority's scheme shall continue to be awarded for the period of 4 weeks beginning on the day following the day the applicant's entitlement to income support or, as the case may be, income-based jobseeker's allowance, income-related employment and support allowance, ceased, if and for so long as the applicant otherwise satisfies the conditions for entitlement to a reduction under that scheme.

(4) Where a reduction under that scheme is awarded for the period of 4 weeks in accordance with subparagraph

(3) above, and the last day of that period falls on a day other than the last day of a reduction week, then a reduction under the scheme shall continue to be awarded until the end of the reduction week in which the last day of that period falls.

(5) Throughout the period of 4 weeks specified in sub-paragraph (3) and any further period specified in subparagraph (4)—
(a) the whole of the income and capital of the applicant shall be disregarded;
(b) the appropriate maximum Council Tax benefit of the applicant shall be that which was applicable in his case immediately before that period commenced.

(6) The maximum reduction shall be calculated in accordance with paragraph 29(1) (max Council Tax reduction under scheme) if, since the date it was last calculated—
(a) the applicant's Council Tax liability has increased; or
(b) a change in the deduction under paragraph 30 (non-dependant deductions pensioners) falls to be made.

Chapter 2 - Extended reductions: persons who are not pensioners

97 Extended reductions: persons who are not pensioners

Paragraphs 98 to 107 apply in relation to applicants who are not pensioners

98 Extended reductions: persons who are not pensioners

(1) An applicant who is entitled to a reduction under this scheme by falling within classes 1 to 3 shall be entitled to an extended reduction where—
(a) the applicant or the applicant's partner was entitled to a qualifying income related benefit;
(b) entitlement to a qualifying income-related benefit ceased because the applicant or the applicant's partner—
(i) commenced employment as an employed or self-employed earner;
(ii) increased their earnings from such employment; or
(iii) increased the number of hours worked in such employment, and that employment is or, as the case may be, those increased earnings or increased number of hours are expected to last five weeks or more; and
(c) the applicant or the applicant's partner had been entitled to and in receipt of a qualifying income-related benefit, jobseeker's allowance or a combination of those benefits for a continuous period of at least 26 weeks before the day on which the entitlement to a qualifying income-related benefit ceased.

(2) For the purpose of sub-paragraph (1)(c), an applicant or an applicant's partner is to be treated as having been entitled to and in receipt of a qualifying income-related benefit or jobseeker's allowance during any period of less than five weeks in respect of which the applicant or the applicant's partner was not entitled to any of those benefits because the applicant or the applicant's partner was engaged in remunerative work as a consequence of their participation in an employment zone programme.

(3) For the purpose of this paragraph, where an applicant or an applicant's partner is entitled to and in receipt of joint-claim jobseeker's allowance they shall be treated as being entitled to and in receipt of jobseeker's allowance.

(4) An applicant must be treated as entitled to a reduction under this scheme by falling into classes 1 to 3 where -
(a) the applicant ceased to be entitled to a reduction under this scheme because the applicant vacated the dwelling in which the applicant was resident;
(b) the day on which the applicant vacated the dwelling was either in the week in which entitlement to a qualifying income-related benefit ceased, or in the preceding week; and
(c) entitlement to the qualifying income-related benefit ceased in any of the circumstances listed in subparagraph (1)(b).

(5) This paragraph does not apply where, on the day before an applicant's entitlement to income support ceased, regulation 6(5) of the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987 (remunerative work: housing costs) applied to that applicant.

99 Duration of extended reduction period: persons who are not pensioners

(1) Where an applicant is entitled to an extended reduction, the extended reduction period starts on the first day of the reduction week immediately following the reduction week in which the applicant, or the applicant's partner, ceased to be entitled to a qualifying income-related benefit.

(2) For the purpose of sub-paragraph (1), an applicant or an applicant's partner ceases to be entitled to a qualifying income-related benefit on the day immediately following the last day of entitlement to that benefit.

(3) The extended reduction period ends—
(a) at the end of a period of four weeks; or
(b) on the date on which the applicant to whom the extended reduction is payable has no liability for Council Tax, if that occurs first.

100 Amount of extended reduction: persons who are not pensioners

(1) For any week during the extended reduction period the amount of the extended reduction to which an applicant is entitled is to be the higher of—
(a) the amount of the reduction under this scheme to which the applicant was entitled under classes 1 to 3 in the last reduction week before the applicant or the applicant's partner ceased to be entitled to a qualifying income-related benefit;
(b) the amount of reduction under this scheme to which the applicant would be entitled under classes 1 to 3 for any reduction week during the extended reduction period, if paragraph 98 (extended reductions: persons who are not pensioners) did not apply to the applicant; or
(c) the amount of reduction under this scheme to which the applicant's partner would be entitled under classes 1 to 3, if paragraph 98 did not apply to the applicant.

(2) Sub-paragraph (1) does not apply in the case of a mover.

(3) Where an applicant is in receipt of an extended reduction under this paragraph and the applicant's partner makes a claim for a reduction under this scheme, no amount of reduction under this scheme is to be awarded by the authority during the extended reduction period.

101 Extended reductions—movers within the local authority: persons who are not pensioners

(1) This paragraph applies—
(a) to a mover; and
(b) with the exception of sub-paragraph (3), from the Monday following the day of the move.

(2) The amount of the extended reduction awarded from the Monday from which this paragraph applies until the end of the extended reduction period is to be the amount of reduction under this scheme to which the mover was eligible for the last reduction week before the mover, or the mover's partner, ceased to be entitled to a qualifying income-related benefit.

(3) Where a mover's liability to pay Council Tax in respect of the new dwelling is to a billing authority other than Gateshead council, the extended reduction (qualifying contributory benefits) will cease from the date the liability for Council Tax ceases within Gateshead.
"the new dwelling" means the dwelling to which an applicant has moved, or is about to move, in which the
applicant is or will be resident;

102 Relationship between extended reduction and entitlement to reduction under classes 1 to 3

(1) Where an applicant's reduction under this scheme would have ended when the applicant ceased to be entitled to a qualifying income-related benefit in the circumstances listed in paragraph 98(1)(b), that
entitlement does not cease until the end of the extended reduction period.

(2) Paragraphs 104 and Paragraph 105 dates on which entitlement begins and change of circumstances take effect) do not apply to any extended reduction (qualifying contributory benefits) payable in accordance with paragraph 100(1)(a) or 101(2).

Chapter 3 - Extended reductions: movers in the authority's area: pensioners and persons who are not
pensioners

103 Extended reductions: movers into the authority's area

Where—
(a) an application is made to the authority ("the current authority") for a reduction under this scheme, and
(b) the applicant, or the partner of the applicant, is in receipt of an extended reduction from—
(i) another billing authority in England;
(ii) a billing authority in Wales;
the current authority must reduce any reduction to which the applicant is entitled under this scheme by the
amount of that extended reduction.