People can reduce their council tax bill by £1,513 within minutes

Two million households are missing out on £1,513 in free cash – and you could get it in minutes. You could get your council tax bill reduced by applying for support after eye-watering ten per cent hikes earlier this year ami the Coist of Living crisis.

The Sun newspaper found that almost 2.3 million people are failing to claim a huge £3.4 billion in Council Tax support. This amounts to support worth an average £1,513 a year, according to analysis of official data by organisation Policy in Practice.

Policy in Practice founder Deven Ghelani, said: “Behind these huge figures lie individual families struggling to cope. This support exists for a reason and if we plug this £23 billion gap and lift people out of poverty it will give them healthier lives, better educational attainment and longer life expectancy – and the costs to the NHS and social care would fall.”

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Also known as council tax reduction (CTR) or council tax support (CTS), this is a type of support which provides for council tax to be reduced in certain defined circumstances. It is administered by local authorities separately from the benefit system.

The amount you get will depend on your age, income and savings, who else lives with you and which benefits you receive. The maximum amount of Council Tax Support you can receive is 91.5% of the Council Tax bill if you are of working age.

Alternatively, you can get up to 100% of the Council Tax bill if you are of pensionable age. You can use an independent benefits calculator on GOV.UK to check if you can apply for Council Tax Support, local authorities say.

To qualify, you must be on a low income and the person responsible for paying the Council Tax, local authorities and councils also say.