Council Tax Support - have your say

We are considering proposals to modernise and simplify the current Council Tax Support scheme and we want to hear your views.

Council Tax Support helps people who cannot afford to pay their council tax by giving them a discount, mainly based on household income.

The changes seek to bring the scheme in line with Universal Credit and would see eligible, working-age households able to claim up to 100% discount from their council tax payment. Under the existing scheme the maximum claim is up to 90%.

We launched a consultation in November and have now received responses from Kent County Council, Kent Police and Kent Fire and Rescue (the major preceptors).

The responses can be found below:

Consultation restarting

We are now restarting our public consultation from 8 December to 4 January 2026 so that if people, having read the responses from the major preceptors, now wish to respond (or respond again with different answers) they can do so. Previous responses will also count, so if you previously responded and your views are unchanged, you do not need to respond again.

Why changes are being proposed

The new scheme, for working-age people for 2026/2027, aims to maximise the support available to residents. It is estimated that the proposed changes would result in an additional £1m of Council Tax Support for people in the Dover district.

The current scheme is complex and not fully compatible with Universal Credit.

Without changes, some residents will continue to receive less support than originally intended when they move to Universal Credit.

Updating the scheme will ensure it is fairer, simpler and provides more help to those who need it most.

For more information, you can read the accompanying notes below.

Have your say

Give us your views by completing the survey below by 5pm on 4 January, 2026.

If you need any help or a paper copy of the questionnaire, please call our customer services team on 01304 821199.