It is a reduction in your Council Tax bill. If you are awarded it we send you a new bill that shows the reduction and the new balance that you owe.
These things affect how much Council Tax Support you get
Your income
Generally the less income you have the more help you can get from Council Tax Support.
Your age
If you are working age, Council Tax Support will not cover all your bill. From April 2024 working age people in Manchester who are liable for Council Tax must pay at least 15% of their bill. Council Tax Support will only help with the remaining 85%.
To make things easier you can spread your payments over 12 months.
Pension-age people can still get help with the whole bill. More about the Council Tax Support rules for pension-age people.
If you get Universal Credit
We have a banded scheme for people getting Universal Credit so that small changes in Universal Credit income don't always mean a change in Council Tax Support.
This table shows how much help you can expect towards your bill. It's based on the amount of income you have over what the Government expect you to live off (your applicable amount). You are expected to pay the rest.
| Your weekly income | Amount of Council Tax Support towards your bill |
| If your income is equal to your applicable amount | 85% |
| If you have up to £25 over your applicable amount | 72.5% |
| If you have between £25.01 and £50 over your applicable amount | 47.5% |
| If you have between £50.01 and £75 over your applicable amount | 32.5% |
| If you have between £75.01 and £80 over your applicable amount | 14.5% |
| If you have over £80.01 | No support |
The size of your family
As with most benefits, we often have to limit the number of children to two when we work out Council Tax Support for families.
Other adults who live with you
You may get less help from Council Tax Support if other adults live with you who can be expected to help you pay the Council Tax bill. They are called non-dependants.
Your savings
If you have £16,000 or more you can't get any Council Tax Support. There is a different rule for some pension-age people.
Discounts and exemptions
There are other reductions on your Council Tax bill, for example the Single Person Discount. If you get any of the other reductions we work out Council Tax Support after they have been taken off. More about discounts and exemptions
See more about how your circumstances affect Council Tax Support.