Central Bedfordshire Council Tax Support Changes 2026/27: What the 75% Cap Means for You

What Changed on 1 April 2026

Central Bedfordshire Council reduced the maximum council tax support award for working-age households from 100% to 75%. Before this change, the lowest-income residents could have their entire council tax bill covered. Now every working-age household must pay at least 25% of their net council tax — no matter how low their income is.

This affects roughly 7,288 households that previously paid nothing toward council tax. Across typical Band A to Band C properties, the new minimum payment works out to £300–£550 per year, or £25–£46 per month.

Pension-age residents are unaffected. The national prescribed scheme still allows up to 100% reduction for pensioners.

The 2026/27 Income Bands

Central Bedfordshire uses a banded model rather than traditional means-testing with tapers. Your household's countable weekly income is matched against thresholds that vary by family size.

Single adults:

• Band B1 (75% discount): £0–£126.48 per week
• Band B2 (55%): £126.49–£173.61
• Band B3 (40%): £173.62–£248.01
• Band B4 (25%): £248.02–£310.02
• No support: £310.03 or more

Couples with no children:

• Band B1 (75%): £0–£161.20
• Band B2 (55%): £161.21–£235.60
• Band B3 (40%): £235.61–£297.62
• Band B4 (25%): £297.63–£359.63

The thresholds rise further with each child. A single parent with one child, for example, stays in Band B1 up to £204.60 per week.

How to Calculate Your Countable Income

Not everything counts. Personal Independence Payment, Disability Living Allowance, and Carer's Allowance are fully disregarded — they do not push you into a higher band. If you receive Universal Credit, only the Standard Allowance plus Child Elements plus your net earnings count; the Housing Element, Childcare Element, and disability-related UC elements are all excluded.

The order of calculation matters: any class discounts (like the 25% Single Person Discount) reduce your gross bill first, then the LCTS percentage is applied to what remains.

A single person in a Band D property (gross charge around £2,200) living alone with the Single Person Discount gets a net bill of £1,650. At Band B1, the 75% LCTS discount takes £1,237.50 off that, leaving £412.50 for the year — roughly £34.38 per month.

What This Means If You Were Previously on 100%

If you had a full Council Tax Support award last year, your 2026/27 council tax demand shows the amount now due. That bill is enforceable — the council can pursue it through the normal recovery process if it goes unpaid.

If the new minimum payment is genuinely unaffordable, two options exist. First, you can ask the council to spread your payments over 12 instalments instead of 10 — that reduces each monthly amount. Second, you can apply for discretionary Section 13A hardship relief, which is a separate scheme for people in exceptional financial difficulty. The criteria are strict (you must have exhausted all other options and the hardship must be outside your control), but it exists for exactly this situation.

Other Rules in the 2026/27 Scheme

The 2026/27 scheme also has these features:

• The capital limit remains £16,000 — savings above that disqualify you entirely
• There are still no non-dependant deductions (adult children living with you do not reduce your award)
• PIP, DLA, and Carer's Allowance remain fully disregarded
• The savings threshold for producing bank statements is still £5,500
• Working-age backdating of up to 12 months with continuous good cause is still available

The Central Bedfordshire Council Tax Reduction Guide includes the full income band tables for every family size, five worked calculation scenarios, and the hardship application process.

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