Council Tax Discretionary Relief Scheme (CTDR)

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Relief scheme overview 

Council Tax Discretionary Relief Scheme (CTDR) is intended for customers who are suffering from hardship due to exceptional circumstances who require help to meet their Council Tax liability. 

It is only used for short term assistance and is made at the council's discretion in cases where it considers that extra help with council tax liability is needed. The council recently approved an extra £500,000 in funding to support this scheme.

In order to be eligible for CTDR you must:

  • be the person responsible for paying the Council Tax
  • demonstrate that you need financial help in order to pay your Council Tax and are actively taking steps to address your financial hardship
  • CTDR cannot be used to help with housing costs

Before applying you should check if you are entitled to a Council Tax discount, exemption or Council Tax Support

How to apply

To apply for the CTDR you will need to:

  1. submit an online form on the Grant Approval website
  2. upload with your online form evidence that proves your identity and shows details of your living expenses

Prepare for your application

Before you start your application gather all your evidence and check you have everything you need.

If you have missing information or you don't give us your details, this will delay your application being processed or you not receiving a CTDR payment.

You must provide a copy of your:

  • passport, driving licence or other forms of identity
  • bank statements or other evidence of savings dated within the last 3 months
  • proof of residence such as a utility bill, Council Tax bill, tenancy agreement or similar receipts, invoice, bill or other evidence of expenditure within the last 3 months
  • support worker contact details, doctors letter or other written testimonial from support agencies
  • copy of your tenancy agreement
  • for Universal Credit claimants we also need your latest award breakdown (these are statements which are found in the payments section of your online Universal Credit account)

Apply for Council Tax Discretionary Relief Scheme (CTDR)

To get the best outcome please ensure you supply any additional evidence as outline in the application form.

Support completing your application

If you would like to talk to someone about (CTDR) or help with the online application, contact us on 020 8359 4242 or email: residentsupportfund@barnet.gov.uk

What happens next

How long will it take to process your application

We aim to process your application as soon as possible.

It may take longer to process your application if we need to contact you for more information.

Please make sure you submit everything you've been asked for.

How we'll contact you if we need more information

You will be sent an email.

How the CTDR will be paid

The funds will be credited directly to the applicant’s council tax account.

Further support

You can get advice on claiming a Discretionary Council Tax Hardship Payment or general debt advice by contacting your local Citizens Advice Bureau