Please contact us if you’re worried about changes to your income
Keeping up with a few changes
There have been changes to the benefits system and also to council tax support that I want to make sure that you’re aware of. These could make a difference to your income – but if you find that’s the case, we’re here to talk you through it and ensure that you’re receiving any support you’re entitled to.
Amanda Ryan, bpha’s Money Advice Manager
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Have your benefits stopped?
During the last couple of years, six types of benefits have become part of Universal Credit (UC). The process was called managed migration and it affected:
- Child Tax Credit (migration completed)
- Housing Benefit
- Income Support
- Income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
- Income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA)
- Working Tax Credit.
If you received any of these benefits and are of working age, you would have been contacted and asked to apply for Universal Credit. The only people who still receive housing benefit are eligible pensioners and people in temporary or supported housing.
The migration process finished at the end of March. If you didn’t apply for Universal Credit when asked to, your benefits will have stopped. If this has happened to you, please contact my team straightaway so we can help – it’s not too late to get this sorted out and we can work together to get you back on track.
Council tax rebates
Your local council offers a reduced council tax rate if you’re on a low income. The amount your council tax is reduced by depends on your income and savings but can be up to 100%.
From April 2026, some local authorities are lowering the amount that they’ve reduced bills by in the past.
You should have received a letter from your local council in April confirming how much council tax you will pay each month, up until the end of March 2027. It’s really important that you check your letter so that you’re aware if the amount you pay is changing. When you receive your bill, it will tell you if any discounts have been applied, for example, single person’s discount, so please make sure you check your bill is correct for your circumstances.
If the amount you pay has changed and you’re worried about how it will affect your finances, please contact my team and we can look at this together.
Don’t forget, there is guidance and information including the benefits and budgeting calculator, basic bank accounts, Bedford Credit Union and the Universal Credit helper tool on our website – plus a contact form if you’d like to speak with the team directly.