If your Council Tax Support doesn’t cover your full bill and you’re struggling to pay, you may be able to get Discretionary Council Tax Support (DCTS).
You must:
- live in Trafford
- get Council Tax Support (or be entitled to it)
- be in financial hardship
There’s no automatic entitlement. We look at each application individually.
Apply for DCTS
You can apply online for DCTS.
In some cases, you won’t need to fill in a form. This might happen if:
- you already get Council Tax Support and we’re asked to cover a past period when you were also getting another benefit, like Universal Credit
- you’re working with a Trafford Council team (such as Social Workers, Revenues and Benefits, or Stronger Families) and we already have the information needed to assess your case
What you’ll need
We may ask you to upload documents like:
- a Council Tax bill
- your Universal Credit award letter
- bank statements (last 3 months)
- a letter from a debt adviser
- proof of any income for others in your household
- medical or disability-related documents
- details of your household spending
If we ask for information, you need to send it within one month. If not, your application may be refused.
How long support lasts
We usually award DCTS for up to 13 weeks. In rare cases, we may extend this up to 12 months. This is short-term support to help while you manage a change in your situation.
The award will be paid directly to your Council Tax account.
If you need longer-term help with managing your money, visit MoneyMatters for advice and support.
Changes to your situation
Tell us straight away if your circumstances change. We may adjust your DCTS.
We will recover overpayments from your Council Tax account.
If you disagree with a decision
If you don't agree with the outcome, you can request a review within one month of the decision letter. A different Council Officer from the one who made the original decision will review this.
If you're still unhappy after our review, you can request a final review or complain to the Local Government Ombudsman.
For more information about the Discretionary Council Tax Support scheme, download the document below.