Walsall Council Tax Hardship Fund and Section 13A Discretionary Relief

When Council Tax Reduction Isn't Enough

Under Walsall's working-age income-banded CTR scheme, the maximum reduction is 75%, leaving at least 25% of eligible council tax liability. Eligible care leavers under 25 can receive a separate 100% care-leaver discount. At the 2026/27 Band B charge, 25% is about £511 a year before other discounts. If that residual amount is unaffordable, Walsall has two additional safety nets.

Exceptional Hardship Support (Section 13A)

Under Section 13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, Walsall Council can reduce or wipe out your remaining council tax liability if you're experiencing severe financial hardship. This is a discretionary power — there's no automatic entitlement, and the council assesses each case individually.

To qualify, you generally need to already be receiving Council Tax Reduction and demonstrate that the residual 25% minimum payment is causing genuine hardship. The council looks at your full income and expenditure breakdown, so you'll need to show there's genuinely no room in your budget.

How to apply: Complete the application online via Walsall Council's hardship support page. You'll need to provide a detailed income and expenditure breakdown alongside bank statements showing your current financial position.

Walsall assesses applications on individual circumstances and asks for income, expenditure, and details about those circumstances. Any extra help may be temporary and is not guaranteed, so explain clearly how your council tax liability contributes to the hardship.

The Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF)

Running from April 2026 to March 2029, the Crisis and Resilience Fund replaced the Household Support Fund and traditional Discretionary Housing Payments in Walsall. It covers a broader range of emergency needs:

• Crisis payments: grants for urgent essentials like food, utility top-ups, and essential household appliances (fridges, washing machines)
• Housing payments: discretionary help with rent arrears or shortfalls in housing support

The CRF isn't specifically for council tax — it's for residents in financial crisis more broadly. But if your council tax situation is part of a wider financial emergency, the CRF application is a separate avenue to explore alongside the Section 13A hardship route.

Apply through the welfare support section on Walsall Council's website.

Which Fund Applies to You

If your only problem is the 25% council tax minimum payment and you're otherwise managing, Section 13A Exceptional Hardship Support is the direct route. It targets the council tax gap specifically.

If you're facing a broader crisis — you can't afford food, your boiler has broken, you're behind on rent as well as council tax — the Crisis and Resilience Fund addresses the wider emergency.

You can apply for both. They serve different purposes and one doesn't disqualify the other.

Don't Wait Until Enforcement

These funds exist to prevent council tax arrears from escalating to court summons and bailiff action. If you're already receiving CTR but still falling behind on the residual payments, apply for hardship support before missing instalments. Once a liability order is in place, the enforcement process runs on its own track and is much harder to unwind.

If you've already reached the enforcement stage, contact StepChange (0800 138 1111) or Citizens Advice Sandwell & Walsall (0808 278 7812) for free debt advice — they can negotiate with the council on your behalf.

Our Walsall Council Tax Reduction guide covers both discretionary funds in detail, including what to include in your income and expenditure statement to give your application the best chance.

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