Q You recently told a couple they could claim a discount on their council tax because one of them was a student. How will this affect our family? I am 64 and my husband is 65 and our 16-year-old granddaughter lives with us. I am a part-time student doing a PhD at university. My daughter, who no longer lives with us, is in her first year as a full-time student and lives with her partner and two children, aged five and six.
A Where there is only one person in a dwelling, the council awards a 25 per cent discount on the council tax. When counting up the number of residents in a dwelling, however, certain people are ignored. These include everyone under 18 and certain students. To be ignored as a student, the person must be at university or equivalent, and studying for 21 hours a week or more, for 24 or more weeks of the year. Your daughter looks to be eligible for the discount, but your situation depends upon your hours of study.
Q Are we entitled to Council Tax Benefit? Our joint State Pensions are £160.55 a week, my husband's monthly occupational pension is £112 and mine is £285. Our savings are £15,000 and our council tax is £957 a year.
A Yes. You are entitled to about £2.15 a week.
Q I am 78 with a four-weekly State Pension of £482.88 and part-time earnings of £399.16 a month. My wife is 76, with a four-weekly State Pension of £192.10. Our joint savings are £9,800 and our council tax is £1,057.85 a year. Can we get Pension Credit or Council Tax Benefit?
A Your income is too high for Pension Credit but you are due Council Tax Benefit of about £6.35 a week.
Q I have just retired at 65 with a State Pension of £126.74 and Pension Credit of £14.18 a week. My wife has a State Pension of £49.15 a week. What council tax should we be paying?
A Assuming that your capital is less than £16,000, and it looks as though it is, you should be paying no more than £120 a year.
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