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Capital and Council Tax Support

Pete at CAB
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Welfare Benefits Adviser’ for Citizens Advice Cornwall

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Total Posts: 380

Joined: 12 December 2017

I have a client whose capital hovers around the £6k mark, when she gets her ESA it goes over £6k but by the time the next ESA is due its under £6k again. The local Council does not pay C Tax Support to anyone with with capital over £6k and my cl. doesn’t claim C Tax Support

I understand that the general principle is that benefit income doesn’t count as capital until after the period it was paid for (eg for ESA any ESA left after two weeks would count as capital) so it seems that my cl may well have capital of less than £6k for the majority of the time.

Does anyone know how capital is calculated for CTS purposes, is it an average over a period of time or a week by week calculation.

I know that each Council has its own processes (and I have made an enquiry locally) but I was hoping to find something in legislation that sets parameters for the Council’s scheme. I haven’t found anything so far and I was wondering if anyone had any ideas?

Elliot Kent
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Shelter

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Joined: 14 July 2014

Income isn’t capital. If all that is happening is that she is receiving and spending her income, then that should be ignored and her capital is the amount of money in her bank which has been there throughout and isn’t being spent.