Salford Council Tax Hardship Fund — Section 13A, Discretionary Support, and Crisis Help

For working-age households on Salford's income-banded scheme, standard Council Tax Reduction covers up to 88% of the eligible liability. If the remaining 12% — or a larger share if you're in a higher band — is still more than you can pay because of an unexpected crisis, Salford has three separate routes for extra help. They work differently and cover different situations.

1. Discretionary Council Tax Support (Section 13A)

Under Section 13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, Salford City Council can grant a temporary additional discount on your council tax when you're facing severe financial hardship from extraordinary circumstances.

This isn't an entitlement — it's discretionary, assessed case by case, and subject to available council funding. The award is temporary. It's designed for situations where CTR leaves a shortfall that the household genuinely cannot cover because of an unforeseen event: a sudden job loss, a relationship breakdown, a health crisis that wipes out reserves.

To apply, you need to:

• Submit an application through the Discretionary Council Tax Support page on salford.gov.uk or via Salford Assist.
• Provide a complete breakdown of all household income and expenditure.
• Supply 4 to 6 weeks of unabridged bank statements for every account in the household.
• Show that you've already engaged with a free debt advice service — StepChange, National Debtline, or Citizens Advice Salford. The council treats this as evidence that you're actively managing the situation, not just asking for a write-off.

The amount depends on the circumstances of the application.

2. Salford Assist

Salford Assist is the council's emergency fund for residents in acute crisis. It covers essential needs — food vouchers, energy top-ups, basic household items — rather than council tax directly. But it matters here because the two are often linked: if you can't afford council tax, you're likely struggling with other basics too.

To qualify for Salford Assist you need a six-month local connection to Salford. Applications go through the same portal, and the fund operates separately from Council Tax Reduction.

3. Crisis and Resilience Fund

From April 2026, Salford restructured its emergency support. The legacy Discretionary Housing Payment scheme was integrated alongside a new Crisis and Resilience Housing Payments system, providing emergency relief for both housing costs and council tax liabilities.

This fund targets residents who've hit a crisis point — redundancy, domestic abuse, sudden homelessness risk — and need immediate financial stabilisation. It sits alongside Salford Assist rather than replacing it, covering a broader range of housing-related costs including council tax shortfalls.

Which Route to Try

If your problem is specifically that your CTR award doesn't cover enough and you have unusual circumstances, start with Discretionary Council Tax Support (Section 13A). If you're in an immediate crisis affecting multiple areas of your finances, you can also check Salford Assist and the Crisis and Resilience Fund; they provide different types of support.

For Discretionary Council Tax Support, the council expects applicants to show that they've taken steps to address their financial situation and engaged with free debt advice. StepChange (0800 138 1111) and National Debtline (0808 808 4000) are both available by phone and online, and Citizens Advice Salford offers face-to-face sessions at Gateway Centres across the city.

If you've received a court summons or bailiff notice, contact a free debt advice service before doing anything else — they can help you negotiate directly with the council and, in some cases, get enforcement action paused.

For a complete breakdown of how to apply for discretionary support and the Section 13A process, see our Salford Council Tax Reduction guide.

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