Liverpool Council Tax Hardship Fund and Section 13A Relief

Even with Council Tax Reduction applied to your bill, you might still be struggling to pay what's left. Liverpool City Council has two separate safety nets for people in genuine financial crisis — Section 13A discretionary relief and the Liverpool Citizens Support Scheme. They're different programmes with different purposes, and applying for one doesn't affect the other.

Section 13A Discretionary Hardship Relief

Under Section 13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, Liverpool City Council can reduce or write off your remaining council tax liability if you're facing severe financial hardship. This is discretionary — the council decides case by case, and there's no automatic entitlement.

To have a realistic chance, you need to show:

• You've already claimed every statutory discount, exemption, and Council Tax Reduction you're entitled to
• Your hardship is caused by unforeseen circumstances (sudden job loss, serious illness, relationship breakdown)
• You genuinely cannot pay — not that paying is inconvenient

The application must be in writing and include a complete income and expenditure breakdown plus supporting evidence (medical letters, redundancy notices, benefit award letters). The council wants to see that you've done everything you reasonably can before asking for discretionary help.

Section 13A relief is not the same as Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP). DHP covers rent shortfalls for housing costs. Section 13A covers council tax specifically. Applying for one doesn't cover the other, and they're administered by different teams within the council.

Liverpool Citizens Support Scheme (LCSS)

The LCSS is a completely separate emergency fund for Liverpool residents in immediate crisis. It provides two types of help:

• Urgent Needs Awards — emergency cash for essential living expenses when you've had a sudden shock (fire, flood, domestic abuse, benefit sanction leaving you with nothing)
• Home Setup Awards — furniture and household appliances for vulnerable people setting up an independent home for the first time (leaving care, fleeing domestic abuse, moving out of temporary accommodation)

LCSS isn't a council tax programme — it's broader emergency support. But if you're in the kind of crisis where you can't afford food or heating, a successful LCSS application can free up enough to cover your council tax minimum payment.

Referrals go through approved advice partners or Liverpool City Council's contact centre directly. You don't apply through the Citizen Access Benefits portal — it's a separate process.

Which One Do You Need?

If your council tax bill is your main problem and you've already claimed CTR, apply for Section 13A relief first. If you're in a wider financial emergency affecting everything (rent, food, utilities, council tax), contact the LCSS for immediate help and apply for Section 13A in parallel.

Neither programme replaces your obligation to claim Council Tax Reduction if you're eligible — they're both designed as last-resort support after the main scheme has been applied.

Free Advice Before You Apply

Citizens Advice Liverpool (0300 330 1196) can help you prepare a Section 13A application and check whether there are other discounts or exemptions you've missed. If you're in council tax debt, StepChange (stepchange.org) and National Debtline (0808 808 4000) provide free, confidential debt advice — contact them before the council starts enforcement.

Our Liverpool Council Tax Reduction guide explains how Section 13A works alongside the main Council Tax Reduction scheme and includes the evidence checklist for a hardship application.

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