Cheshire East Council Tax Hardship Fund — Section 13A Discretionary Relief

Two Safety Nets Beyond Standard Council Tax Support

If your Council Tax Support award still leaves a balance you cannot afford, you can ask about Exceptional Hardship Payments. The Crisis and Resilience Fund is separate emergency support with its own eligibility rules and application routes; it is not a Council Tax Support top-up or a Council Tax write-off.

Exceptional Hardship Payments (EHP) operate under Section 13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. This is a direct council tax write-off, credited to your account to reduce or eliminate your remaining balance.

The Crisis and Resilience Fund is a separate emergency-assistance scheme, with £3,998,376 allocated for 2026/27. Cheshire East lists crisis support, heating-oil help, essential household items, housing costs, and exceptional-cost support under the fund; it is not a Council Tax Support top-up or a Section 13A bill reduction.

The two schemes serve different situations. EHP targets the gap between your Council Tax Support award and your actual ability to pay. The Crisis Fund covers acute emergencies where the immediate financial crisis extends beyond just council tax.

Who Can Apply for Exceptional Hardship

There is one prerequisite: you must already be receiving Council Tax Support for the period you're applying about. EHP is not a standalone benefit — it's a top-up for people whose standard award leaves them unable to pay the remaining bill.

The council assesses your application against a full income and expenditure review. They'll look at:

• All household income (wages, benefits, pensions)
• Essential outgoing costs (rent/mortgage, utilities, food, travel to work)
• Priority debts (rent arrears, other council tax debts, court fines)
• Non-priority debts (credit cards, catalogue debts, loans)
• Health circumstances, caring responsibilities, or family crises that affect your financial position

EHP awards are temporary. A successful application doesn't set a precedent for next year — you'd need to reapply. The credit appears directly on your Council Tax account, reducing your balance for the current financial year.

How to Apply

Cheshire East processes EHP applications through a dedicated Discretionary Hardship Application form. You can request this through the council's benefits team or access it via the benefits section of the council's website.

The application asks for a detailed breakdown of your household finances. Gather these before you start:

• Recent bank statements (all accounts)
• A list of all monthly income and outgoings
• Details of any debts, including amounts owed and repayment arrangements
• A statement explaining why you cannot afford the remaining council tax

Be specific about the hardship. "I can't afford it" is less persuasive than "after rent, utilities, and food for three children, I have £12 per week left and my remaining council tax is £46 per month."

The Crisis and Resilience Fund

This is broader than EHP. The Crisis and Resilience Fund can help with short-term emergencies, essential household items, housing costs, heating-oil costs, and exceptional costs.

Each type of support has its own route. Cheshire East directs housing-cost claims through its online CRF application; applications for essential household items and exceptional-cost support require a referral from a trusted professional. For debt-related exceptional-cost requests, the council also requires evidence that you have contacted a debt adviser and have a debt plan or are arranging one. Check the council's current CRF page for the right route.

What These Funds Don't Do

Neither scheme pauses enforcement action. If you have a court summons or bailiff visit scheduled, applying for hardship relief does not automatically put that on hold. The application needs to be processed and approved first.

Exceptional Hardship Payments require an existing Council Tax Support award for the period concerned. The Crisis and Resilience Fund is separate and does not require you to receive Council Tax Support.

And neither scheme replaces debt advice. If you're in serious Council Tax arrears with multiple debts, StepChange (0800 138 1111) and National Debtline (0808 808 4000) provide free, regulated debt advice and can help you negotiate. Any payment arrangement must be agreed with the body handling the debt — Cheshire East or, after handover, the enforcement agent.

The Cheshire East Council Tax Reduction Guide walks through the main Council Tax Support application and explains how to layer Exceptional Hardship relief on top if your standard award isn't enough.

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