Nottingham Council Tax Support and Housing Benefit: How They Work Together

Two Benefits, One Application Form

Nottingham City Council administers both Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support through the same revenues and benefits department. The online application portal at myaccount.nottinghamcity.gov.uk uses a joint form that covers both benefits in a single submission. You do not need to fill in two separate applications.

This joint form matters because the evidence requirements overlap — proof of identity, income, capital, and household composition can be submitted with one application, while each benefit is assessed under its own rules.

Who Still Gets Housing Benefit

Housing Benefit has been largely replaced by Universal Credit's housing element for most working-age tenants. If you are a new claimant on Universal Credit, your rent support comes through UC — not through Housing Benefit from the council.

However, Housing Benefit continues for several groups in Nottingham:

• Pension-age residents who qualify under Housing Benefit rules; mixed-age couples have additional restrictions
• Tenants in supported or temporary accommodation whose housing costs are not covered by UC
• Existing Housing Benefit claimants whose claims continue under the transition rules

If you fall into one of these groups, you can submit your Council Tax Support claim alongside your Housing Benefit claim on the joint application form.

How the Two Benefits Interact

Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support are separate entitlements with separate calculations. Some evidence overlaps, but each benefit applies its own income, capital, and applicable-amount rules.

For working-age residents under Nottingham's local scheme, the Council Tax Support capital limit is £6,000 — but the Housing Benefit capital limit remains at the national £16,000. This means you could qualify for Housing Benefit while being excluded from Council Tax Support if your savings sit between £6,000 and £16,000. Pension-age Council Tax Support follows different national rules, with a £16,000 capital limit and no upper capital limit for claimants receiving Guarantee Credit.

Universal Credit Claimants and CTR

For most Universal Credit claimants, housing costs are handled through the UC housing element. Housing Benefit can still cover rent in supported or temporary accommodation. Council Tax Support still needs a separate application to Nottingham City Council.

The DWP sends an electronic notification to the council when you claim UC, but this notification does not always trigger an automatic CTR claim. Confirm through the council's portal that your Council Tax Support is active, especially if your council tax bill has not been reduced within a few weeks of your UC award starting.

The Universal Credit and Nottingham CTR post covers this interaction in detail, including the common trap of assuming UC covers your council tax automatically.

Reporting Changes

If you receive both Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support, changes in your circumstances need to be reported to Nottingham City Council directly — even if you have already reported them to the DWP for Universal Credit purposes. Reporting a change to the DWP does not update your local council records automatically.

Use the "Report a Change" portal on the council's website for income changes, household changes, and address moves. The change of circumstances post explains which changes trigger a reassessment and how the £5-per-week threshold works.

For the full evidence checklist and step-by-step application walkthrough, the Nottingham Council Tax Reduction guide covers both the CTR and Housing Benefit sides of the joint form.

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