East Riding Council Tax Minimum Payment: The 20% Rule Explained

Where the 20% Minimum Comes From

East Riding of Yorkshire's working-age Council Tax Support scheme caps the maximum reduction at 80% of your eligible bill. That means even households on the lowest incomes — including those on passported benefits like Income Support or income-based ESA — still pay at least 20%.

This 80% cap has been in place since 1 April 2025, when the council increased it from the previous 75% maximum. Before that change, every working-age household paid at least 25%.

How the Minimum Payment Is Calculated

The 20% applies to your eligible liability — not the raw Band charge. Here's the sequence:

1. Start with your gross council tax charge for the year (set by your property band)
2. Subtract any statutory discounts (like the 25% Single Person Discount)
3. The result is your net eligible liability
4. The council applies your income band percentage (80%, 70%, 60%, 50% or 25%) to that eligible liability
5. Non-dependant deductions (£25 per working adult, £10 per non-working adult) are subtracted from the award
6. Whatever remains after the reduction is what you pay

For a Band A property in East Riding (£1,309.65 gross in 2026/27), a single person with the 25% Single Person Discount has an eligible liability of about £982. At the maximum 80% reduction, the annual council tax support would be roughly £786, leaving about £196 to pay for the year — roughly £20 a month over 10 instalments.

What If You Can't Afford the 20%?

The 20% minimum is baked into the scheme rules and there's no standard route to reduce it further through Council Tax Support alone. But East Riding does operate an Exceptional Hardship Fund under Section 13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

The hardship fund is discretionary. To qualify, you generally need to show that your essential living expenses exceed your total household income and that you've exhausted all other avenues of help. Awards are temporary credits applied to your bill — they don't create a permanent entitlement.

Contact the Your Money Team on (01482) 394633 or email [email protected] to discuss whether a hardship application is appropriate for your situation.

Don't Let It Become Debt

If the 20% minimum is genuinely unaffordable and you're not able to keep up with payments, act before it escalates. Once a bill goes unpaid, the council can issue reminder notices, a final notice (which accelerates the full year's balance), a court summons, and ultimately a liability order — each stage adding costs and limiting your options.

Free debt advice is available from StepChange (0800 138 1111), National Debtline (0808 808 4000) and Citizens Advice Hull & East Riding (0808 278 7981). These services are confidential and can help negotiate payment arrangements with the council.

For the full income band tables, worked examples showing the minimum payment in practice, and the hardship fund application process, see the East Riding Council Tax Reduction guide.

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