North Yorkshire Council Tax Hardship Fund: Section 13A Discretionary Relief
What the Hardship Fund Is
North Yorkshire Council maintains an Exceptional Hardship Fund (EHF) under Section 13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. It's a discretionary safety net for residents whose Council Tax liability is causing severe financial hardship — whether they receive Council Tax Reduction or not.
The fund is separate from the main CTR scheme. You might apply for hardship relief if:
- You already receive CTR but still can't afford the remaining bill
- Your CTR award changed (income went up, household changed) and the gap is unmanageable
- You don't qualify for CTR (savings over £6,000, income above the bands) but face exceptional circumstances
Awards are credited directly to your Council Tax account, reducing your outstanding balance.
How Much Is Available
Separately, North Yorkshire Council allocated £7,706,465 to its Crisis and Resilience Fund for 2026/27. Individual Exceptional Hardship Fund awards are discretionary — there's no fixed amount, and the council makes case-by-case decisions based on your financial situation.
Awards are also short-term. They're designed to bridge a gap, not replace ongoing CTR. If your financial difficulty is long-term, the council may direct you toward a CTR application instead (or back toward your existing CTR claim to check whether your band should be reassessed).
What You Need to Show
The application requires a detailed household income-and-expenditure breakdown. The council needs to see that after covering essential living costs — rent/mortgage, food, utilities, transport to work, childcare — there genuinely isn't enough left to pay the Council Tax.
You'll typically need:
- Proof of all household income: payslips, UC award statement, benefit letters
- Bank statements showing your spending pattern
- A list of essential outgoings with amounts: rent, gas/electric, water, food, travel, insurance, childcare, debt repayments
- Evidence of the hardship: redundancy notice, benefit sanction letter, unexpected bills
The council is looking for cases where the numbers genuinely don't add up — not for people who are managing but would prefer not to pay. Being honest and thorough with the budget form matters more than anything else.
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How to Apply
Contact North Yorkshire Council's Revenues and Benefits team to request the Exceptional Hardship application form. The form asks for a comprehensive financial breakdown, so have your documents ready before you start. Some councils accept a written letter instead of the standard form — check with the council on 0300 131 2 131.
If your application is refused, ask the council how to request a review and whether you can provide additional evidence. North Yorkshire Citizens Advice and Law Centre (0808 278 7900) can help you review your options.
When to Apply for CTR Instead
If you haven't yet applied for Council Tax Reduction, do that first. The income-banded CTR scheme can reduce your bill by up to 100% — and it's an entitlement based on clear rules, not a discretionary decision. The hardship fund is the fallback for situations the main scheme doesn't fully cover.
The North Yorkshire Council Tax Reduction Process Guide includes a Section 13A hardship budget template alongside the main CTR application checklist, so you can pursue both routes if needed.
If you're in Council Tax debt or facing enforcement action, contact StepChange (0800 138 1111) or National Debtline (0800 808 4000) for free, independent debt advice before the situation escalates.
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