Coventry Council Tax Hardship Help: Section 13A and Crisis Fund
When Standard Council Tax Support Isn't Enough
Even at maximum Council Tax Support (Band 1, 80% off), working-age residents in Coventry still owe 20% of their net council tax bill. For some households, even that reduced amount is unaffordable — especially after an unexpected income drop, a health crisis, or a bereavement.
Coventry City Council operates two additional safety nets for people in this position: discretionary relief under Section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, and the Crisis and Resilience Fund.
Section 13A Discretionary Relief
Under Section 13A(1)(c), Coventry City Council has the legal authority to reduce or completely write off a resident's council tax liability. This is a discretionary power — the council decides case by case, and there's no automatic entitlement.
Who it's designed for:
- Residents already receiving maximum Council Tax Support who still can't afford the remaining 20%
- Households facing severe, unforeseen financial hardship
- Care leavers aged 18 to 25 for whom Coventry acted as corporate parent (these residents have an explicit policy granting up to 100% relief)
How to apply: Submit the "Council Tax Section 13A Application" through the Coventry City Council website. You'll need to provide a full income and expenditure breakdown, which Senior Revenues Officers use to assess your application.
The council assesses each application case by case using the income and expenditure information you provide.
The Crisis and Resilience Fund
This fund replaced the old Household Support Fund and the Discretionary Housing Payments scheme in Coventry. It is a separate application route for emergency support; check the council's current page for eligibility criteria and the application form.
Check the Crisis and Resilience Fund page on coventry.gov.uk for current eligibility criteria and its application form.
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What Section 13A Can Actually Do
If approved, the council can reduce or write off council tax liability in an individual case. Care leavers covered by the local policy may receive up to 100% relief.
The council issues a revised demand notice reflecting the reduced balance.
Ask the council whether any award is time-limited and whether a new application is needed for a later period.
If You're Already in Arrears
If you've missed payments and received a reminder, final notice, or court summons, Section 13A and the Crisis and Resilience Fund can still help — but you should also contact free debt advice services immediately. Coventry Citizens Advice (0800 144 8848), the Central England Law Centre (024 7622 3053), and the Coventry Independent Advice Service (024 7652 1100) all provide free, confidential help with council tax debt. National services like StepChange (0800 138 1111) and National Debtline (0808 808 4000) can also assist.
The Coventry Council Tax Reduction guide maps out the full hardship relief process alongside the main Council Tax Support application, so you can pursue both routes at the same time.
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