Council Tax and Benefits

Council Tax

Council Tax is payable on nearly all domestic properties. It is collected to help pay for local services such as schools, roads, libraries, police, fire and rubbish collection.

The Listing Officer, at the Valuation Office Agency, gives each property a 'band'. Birmingham City Council then sets a charge for each band.

The basic Council Tax bill is made up of two parts, 50% property and 50% personal. The 50% personal element is applied on the basis that two or more people live in a property.

The award of discounts, exemptions, and/ or Council Tax benefit may reduce bills.

Benefits

The Benefit Service is responsible for the administration and payment of housing benefit for local authority and housing association tenants, local housing allowance for private tenants, and for council tax benefit. In addition, using the information provided, our benefit officers are able to advise whether there is a potential entitlement to other state benefits.

The service is delivered as a part of a multi-benefit service for the citizens of Birmingham, which means that people have only to complete one claim form to apply for any of these benefits.

The service is based in the city centre, supported by a network of local Neighbourhood Offices.

At any one time approximately 137,500 people are in receipt of one benefit or another. Of these, around 45 percent are local authority tenants, 29 percent are private tenants and the rest are owner- occupiers.