Good news! As a result of being put into the ESA Support Group, my local Council informed me that Housing Benefit would now pay all my rent and Council Tax Support would pay all my Council Tax and what's more it would be backdated to Feb 2013 which is when I was switched from IB to ESA. The rent refund was paid direct to my housing association putting my rent account so into credit that I won't need to pay any heating charges until Nov. 2014. The Council Tax refund is on its way to me. So, to everyone in the ESA Support Group and in receipt of HB & CTS, make sure you too are getting this entitlement.

Well that's good news.

This may help other members as well.

However other members may want to bear in mind that different local authorities have different rules around HB.

I was uplifted by reading your post Roger.. its so good to hear something positive about Council tax, its such a shambles across the country ... Ive been trying to find out which councils are charging people in the ESA support group and which are not, but its like trying to get blood out of a stone ... i take the fact its so hard to find this information as an indication that a lot of it is not legal. Here in Manchester they have decided everyone of working age must pay a percentage of the council tax that was 8% last year and is now 15%... Of working age... is a very inaccurate and unfair term for people who are in the ESA support group, as the government themselves have decided these people cannot work whatever age they are. I would be interested to know which council you are under ... all the best to you

SB

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Council Tax is now administered solely by each council who the set rates and discounts and who will receive those discounts, so it really doesn't matter what other councils are doing unless you are planning to move to that district.

Also the post you have replied to is over 5 week old, I think it unlikely the that original poster will answer your question

Gordon