Greenwich Council Tax Reduction Renewal and Annual Review: What Happens Each Year

Greenwich can reassess Council Tax Reduction when your circumstances or council tax liability change. The working-age scheme structure continued unchanged for 2026/27, but your award amount can still change with your bill, income, capital, household, or benefit details. Check the new demand notice and any decision notice each year.

Here's what actually happens at renewal time and what can go wrong.

How the Annual Rollover Works

Check your annual Council Tax demand notice and any CTR decision details to see the credit applied for the new year. Greenwich continued the existing working-age LCTS structure for 2026/27 without structural changes, though your award amount can still change when your liability or circumstances change.

The recalculation accounts for:

• The new year's council tax rate (Greenwich applied a 4.99% increase for 2026/27)
• Updated scheme parameters (applicable amounts, premiums, and benefit rates are uprated annually by central government for the pension-age scheme; the local working-age scheme's structure — 80% cap, 25% taper, £10 non-dependant deduction — remained unchanged for 2026/27)
• Any income changes the council already knows about through DWP data feeds

Follow any request from the council and check your bill rather than assuming your award amount is unchanged. If no CTR credit appears, contact Greenwich Council to check your claim.

When to Take Action on Your Claim

Take action in these situations:

• Your previous award ended mid-year — if you are eligible again after a change in income or capital, submit a new claim. Working-age households with capital over £16,000 are not eligible for LCTS
• You moved within Greenwich — report the move to the council within 21 days so it can assess your support against the new Council Tax liability
• You stopped receiving a passported benefit that affected your original claim — report the change to the council within 21 days so it can reassess your entitlement
• The council sent you a review or evidence request — respond by the deadline in the letter. For an evidence request, the council allows one calendar month from the date of the request; missing that deadline can result in the claim being closed

DWP Data Sharing and Universal Credit

Greenwich Council receives automated monthly data feeds from the Department for Work and Pensions showing your Universal Credit award amount, assessment period, earned income, and household components. This means changes in your UC — a new job, increased hours, a partner moving in — typically reach the council without you doing anything.

However, there is an important distinction between data sharing and automatic claiming. Greenwich's claim guidance says a Universal Credit claim is not itself an application for CTR; residents must submit a separate application to the council. If you started UC and never applied separately, you don't have an award to renew — you need to apply for the first time.

Greenwich began testing an automatic LCTS trigger from the DWP's first UC payment notification in Spring 2025, but its claim guidance still requires a separate CTR application. Data-sharing delays and system gaps mean you should not rely on the trigger; if you're on UC and haven't received a CTR decision notice, check with the council directly.

What Changes You Still Need to Report

Even with DWP data sharing, you are legally required to report certain changes to Greenwich Council within 21 days:

• A non-dependant adult moving into or out of your home
• Changes in capital or savings above £6,000
• Moving address
• A child leaving full-time education
• Starting or stopping self-employment (DWP data covers employed earnings, but self-employment details may not flow automatically)
• A partner joining or leaving your household

Failing to report changes can result in an overpayment, which the council recovers by adding the excess back onto your Council Tax bill. If you're unsure whether a change affects your award, contact the council; late reporting can lead to overpayment recovery.

Read more about what triggers a recalculation in our change of circumstances guide.

What to Do If Your Renewed Award Looks Wrong

When your new demand notice arrives in March or April, check the CTR credit figure against what you'd expect. Common issues:

• Award is lower than last year even though your income hasn't changed — this usually reflects the council tax increase. Your percentage award may be the same, but it's calculated on a higher bill, and the remaining 20% (or more) is a larger cash amount
• Award dropped to zero — this could mean the council didn't receive updated information and assumed your circumstances changed. Contact them immediately
• No CTR credit shown at all — your claim may have lapsed. Submit a new application as soon as possible; you can request backdating of up to six months for working-age claimants if you had good cause for not applying sooner

If the decision notice doesn't match what you expected, request a written statement of reasons from [email protected] within one month. From there, you can pursue a formal appeal if needed.

Planning Ahead

Our Greenwich Council Tax Reduction guide includes the full change-reporting checklist, a breakdown of how DWP data flows interact with your CTR, and the step-by-step process for requesting a review if your renewal doesn't look right. Staying on top of renewals prevents the gaps that lead to unexpected bills and overpayment recovery notices.

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