East Riding Council Tax Reduction Income Bands 2026/27: How Much Can You Get?

How the Income Band System Works

East Riding of Yorkshire doesn't use the traditional means-test taper that some councils run. Instead, your total net weekly income is placed into a fixed band, and each band gives you a set percentage reduction on your council tax bill. The lower your income, the higher the reduction — up to a maximum of 80% for 2026/27.

Every working-age household pays at least 20% of its council tax. That 20% minimum is non-negotiable under the current scheme, though the Exceptional Hardship Fund can sometimes help cover it.

The 2026/27 Income Bands

All thresholds were uprated by 3.8% from the previous year. There are four household categories:

Single person (living alone):

• Passported benefits (Income Support, JSA-IB, ESA-IR): 80% reduction
• £0–£96.53 per week: 70%
• £96.54–£149.47: 60%
• £149.48–£202.41: 50%
• £202.42–£255.35: 25%
• £255.36 or more: 0%

Couple (married, civil partners or cohabiting):

• Passported benefits: 80%
• £0–£151.55: 70%
• £151.56–£204.49: 60%
• £204.50–£257.42: 50%
• £257.43–£309.32: 25%
• £309.33 or more: 0%

Family with one dependent child:

• Passported benefits: 80%
• £0–£221.09: 70%
• £221.10–£274.03: 60%
• £274.04–£326.97: 50%
• £326.98–£379.91: 25%
• £379.92 or more: 0%

Family with two or more dependent children:

• Passported benefits: 80%
• £0–£291.68: 70%
• £291.69–£344.62: 60%
• £344.63–£397.55: 50%
• £397.56–£450.49: 25%
• £450.50 or more: 0%

What Counts as Net Weekly Income

East Riding calculates your net weekly income after deducting income tax, National Insurance and 50% of pension contributions. For employed applicants, variable earnings are averaged across a representative period (five consecutive weekly payslips or two monthly payslips). Self-employed income is gross receipts minus allowable business expenses, tax and NI.

Certain income is disregarded entirely:

• The housing element of Universal Credit
• Child Benefit
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) and Disability Living Allowance (DLA)
• Attendance Allowance
• UC Disabled Child Element, Carer Element and LCWRA element (up to the actual amount awarded)
• War Disablement and War Widow(er) Pensions

Band Drift: When a Pay Rise Cuts Your Support

Here's the catch. East Riding's income bands were uprated by 3.8% for 2026/27, but national Universal Credit allowances went up by 6.1%. That mismatch — called "band drift" — means a household can receive a higher UC payment in cash terms but get pushed into a higher local income band, losing council tax support.

The households most vulnerable to band drift are single adults aged 25+, couples where at least one partner is 25+, and families receiving the pre-April 2017 higher child element or with three or more children. If your UC went up in April but your council tax bill also increased, band drift is likely the reason.

The Capital Threshold

Savings, investments and bank balances are subject to a hard £6,000 capital limit. Unlike some benefit schemes that taper support as savings grow, East Riding's scheme is binary: under £6,000 and your capital is ignored entirely; at £6,000.01 or above and you're disqualified regardless of income. The value of your main home is fully disregarded.

Working Out Your Reduction

The East Riding Council Tax Reduction guide includes worked examples for several household types — a single employed person, a couple on Universal Credit, a lone parent, a disabled claimant with carer elements, and a household with a working non-dependant — so you can see exactly how the bands, disregards and deductions interact on a real bill.

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