How Much Council Tax Reduction Can I Get in Leeds?

There Is No Fixed Income Limit

Leeds does not use a hard income cutoff for Council Tax Support. Instead, the council applies a formula: the more you earn above a personal allowance, the more gets deducted from your award. There is no cliff where earning one pound too much disqualifies you entirely — the reduction just shrinks gradually.

The key threshold is your CTS Personal Allowance, which matches the DWP Universal Credit standard monthly allowance converted to a weekly figure. For a single person aged 25 or over, that is roughly £90.80 per week (£393.45 per month × 12 ÷ 52). For couples where either partner is 25 or over, it is higher.

The Surplus Income Formula

Under the Leeds UC CTS Scheme, your weekly award starts at 75% of your net council tax charge. The council then calculates your Surplus Income Deduction:

1. Take your total eligible weekly income (net earnings converted from monthly: monthly × 12 ÷ 52)
2. Subtract your CTS Personal Allowance
3. Multiply the surplus by 15%

That 15% figure is deducted from your base 75% award.

Example: A single worker in a Band B property with a Single Person Discount has a net weekly charge of £22.50. They earn £130 per week after tax. Their CTS Personal Allowance is £90.80. Surplus income is £39.20. The deduction is £39.20 × 15% = £5.88. Their weekly award is £16.88 (75% of £22.50) minus £5.88 = £11.00 per week. They pay £11.50 per week instead of £22.50.

If your income is at or below the personal allowance, the surplus is zero and you receive the full 75%.

Non-Dependant Deductions Reduce Your Award Further

If other adults live in your home, fixed weekly deductions come off your CTS award based on their gross weekly income:

• On qualifying benefits with no earnings: £0 deduction
• Not working or earning under £279/week: £5.20
• Earning £279–£485/week: £10.60
• Earning £485–£605/week: £13.30
• Earning over £605/week: £15.95

These deductions are waived entirely if you or your partner receive Attendance Allowance, PIP daily living component, DLA care component, or are registered blind.

The General Scheme Calculation

If you are still on legacy benefits (income-related ESA, Income Support, income-based JSA) and have not migrated to Universal Credit, the General Scheme uses a 20% income taper with applicable amounts based on your household composition. Passported benefit recipients — those on income-related ESA, Income Support, or income-based JSA — skip the means test entirely and receive the maximum award (75% for most, 100% for protected groups).

Estimate Before You Apply

There is no official Leeds CTS calculator, but you can work through the formula yourself using the figures above. The Leeds Council Tax Reduction guide includes a calculator worksheet with the current personal allowance figures and worked examples for every entitlement class, so you can estimate your award before the council processes your claim.

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