Council tax - backdated claims
What is Backdated Council Tax Benefit?
In most cases, Council Tax Benefit will be awarded from the Monday after we receive your application form. A ‘backdated benefit award’ is when we award benefit for a period earlier than the date you made your claim, up to a maximum of 6 months before the date of your backdating request.
Backdated benefit is not an automatic award. You must be able to demonstrate good reasons for not making your claim at the earlier date. Your reasons for not making an earlier claim must apply for the whole of the period for which you are requesting backdated benefit, up to the date when you submitted your request.
A good reason for not claiming earlier might be if you were seriously ill and had nobody to make your claim for you. Not knowing about Council Tax Benefit is not normally a good reason for backdating.
How do I get my Council Tax Benefit claim backdated?
A backdating request must be made in writing. You must state the exact date you would like your benefit to be backdated to and your reasons for not making an earlier application.
Each backdated request is considered individually, based on the information and evidence that you provide. You should give as much detail as you can, and also provide any evidence you have to support your request.
To find out more about having your claim backdated, contact our team.