Backdate Council Tax Reduction in Greenwich: Rules, Time Limits and How to Request

How Far Back Can You Claim?

Greenwich allows two different backdating periods depending on your age:

Working-age applicants can request backdating for up to six months before their application date. You must demonstrate continuous good cause for the entire backdated period — a convincing reason why you could not reasonably have applied earlier throughout those months.

Pension-age applicants get automatic backdating of up to three months, provided they were eligible during that period. No proof of good cause is needed.

What Counts as Good Cause

Good cause is not just "I did not know about the scheme." Greenwich looks for circumstances that genuinely prevented you from applying. Examples that tend to succeed:

• Hospitalisation or serious illness that left you unable to manage your affairs
• A mental health crisis or period of incapacity
• Bereavement of a close family member combined with the administrative disruption that follows
• Being given incorrect information by an official source that led you to believe you were ineligible

The key word is "continuous." If you are requesting six months of backdating, you need to show that the reason you could not apply persisted for the full six months. A two-week hospital stay does not cover a six-month gap unless there were ongoing complications.

How to Request Backdating

Include your backdating request when you submit your LCTS application through the online portal. Use the "Anything else" free-text section to explain:

• The date you want the claim backdated to
• What prevented you from applying at that time
• Why the reason persisted for the entire backdated period

If you have already submitted your application without mentioning backdating, contact the Benefits team at [email protected] to add the request. Include your claim reference number and the same details.

What Evidence Helps

Supporting evidence strengthens your case significantly. Depending on your situation:

• Hospital discharge summaries and medical notes for health-related claims
• GP letters confirming a period of incapacity
• Letters from a social worker, support worker, or mental health professional
• Evidence of the incorrect advice you received (if that is your ground)

Without evidence, Greenwich may still consider your request based on your written explanation alone — but documented proof makes approval more likely.

What Happens If It Is Approved

Greenwich credits the backdated LCTS amount to your council tax account retrospectively. If you have been paying full rate during the backdated period, the overpayment reduces your outstanding balance. If arrears built up during that time, the backdated award can wipe out some or all of them.

You will receive a revised demand notice showing the adjusted figures.

If Your Request Is Refused

A refusal is not the end. You can request a written explanation of why your good cause was not accepted, then submit a formal Section 16 internal review if you disagree. If that does not resolve it, the Valuation Tribunal for England handles independent appeals.

Our Greenwich Council Tax Reduction guide includes a backdating request template and walks through the appeals process stage by stage.

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