We’re upgrading our Council Tax, Business Rates and Housing Benefits systems between 1 May and the end of June 2025. We will need to turn off some of our systems to make improvements.
Most people will be unaffected, and you do not need to do anything.
You will still need to report changes in your circumstances that may affect your Housing Benefit, Council Tax Reduction claim, or to make a new application. You can still do this using our online forms.
However, while we improve our systems, we cannot process or carry out these these changes. This means you may receive payments which do not reflect the changes that you have asked us to make.
After we have finished the system improvements, we will start to process your request as quickly as we can. This should be from the end of June 2025.
Making and receiving payments
During this time, Direct Debit payments for Council Tax and Business Rates will continue to be taken as arranged.
You can still pay us online, by telephone and through AllPay, as well as through your bank.
We will carry on paying your regular Housing Benefit, based on your entitlement shown on your last notification letter.
If you are experiencing extreme hardship or are at risk of eviction, contact us straight away.
Our staff are still working as usual, if you need to contact us our phone lines are open on 0300 131 2 131, and you can contact us online:
Contact us about Council Tax system changes
Contact us about Business Rates system changes
Contact us about Housing Benefits system changes
Information for landlords
We are also building a new online portal for landlords. This will help landlords manage their tenant's benefits payments securely and easily online.
Sign up for our new online benefits system for landlords