Nottingham Council Tax Hardship Fund and Section 13A Relief

When Maximum Support Still Leaves You Short

Even with the full Council Tax Support award, many Nottingham households face a residual bill they cannot afford. The working-age scheme caps support at 80% of Band B liability. One illustrative Band C calculation leaves an annual shortfall of roughly £600.

Section 13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 gives Nottingham City Council the power to grant discretionary reductions on council tax liability. In practice, this power is administered through the council's Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF).

How the Crisis and Resilience Fund Works

The CRF is not a top-up to Council Tax Support. It is a separate discretionary scheme for residents facing exceptional financial hardship — typically people who have already received maximum CTS and still cannot meet the residual bill.

Applications go through the council's "I need help now" portal at nottinghamcity.gov.uk/crisis. The assessment involves a full household income and expenditure review. The council examines whether you have exhausted all other available support (CTS, Single Person Discount, carer disregards, disability reductions) before considering a discretionary award.

Key points:

• It is discretionary — there is no automatic entitlement, and the council can refuse applications
• It is budget-limited — the council describes Section 13A reductions as discretionary and budget-limited
• It is for exceptional financial hardship — including situations where a residual bill remains after Council Tax Support

Who Should Apply

The CRF is designed for residents in genuine financial crisis — people facing eviction, those whose income has collapsed due to sudden illness or job loss, and households where the residual council tax bill is pushing them into unmanageable debt.

The CRF is for exceptional financial hardship, not a general supplement to Council Tax Support.

If your financial difficulty is specifically about council tax arrears — missed payments, a summons, a liability order, or bailiff contact — seek free debt advice. StepChange (0800 138 1111), National Debtline (0808 808 4000), and Citizens Advice Nottinghamshire Central and South (0808 278 7974) all provide specialist council tax debt support at no cost.

What to Expect

The application asks for details of all income, outgoings, debts, and any special circumstances. You will need evidence of your Council Tax Support award, your current council tax bill, and documentation of your financial situation.

The assessment includes a full household income and expenditure review. If approved, the discretionary reduction lowers your council tax liability.

The Nottingham Council Tax Reduction guide covers both the standard support scheme and the Crisis Fund pathway, so you can work through your options in the right order.

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