New localised benefit calculator to help Sandwell residents claim the help they need

Working with ‘Entitled To,’ the organisation responsible for the benefit calculators approved by the Department for Work and Pensions, Sandwell’s Revenues and Benefits service have produced a new localised benefit calculator.

As well as letting you check for entitlement across the whole range of welfare benefits, the ‘Sandwellised’ version will also show you your potential entitlement to Council Tax Reduction (CTR). Council Tax Reduction is a discount on Council Tax for people on low incomes. Rules for CTR are set independently by each council for its own area. So, although various benefit calculators are available online, this is the only one that will specifically help Sandwell residents find out if they might be entitled to help with their Council Tax bills.

It should be stressed that as well as CTR, residents might also be eligible for help with their Council tax bills through other discounts and exemptions that the calculator does not account for. This is because the calculator looks at your financial details only, whereas other discounts and exemptions such as those for students or sole occupiers, are based on household composition and personal circumstances.

Full details of how to access the calculator are available on the latest bulletin produced by Sandwell Revenues and Benefits which is available here.