Benefits and Council Tax

Housing benefits and Council Tax benefit are national benefit schemes run by councils to help people who are unemployed or on low income. Housing benefit helps to pay rent, while Council Tax benefit helps with Council Tax bills.

• Housing / Council Tax benefit claims: 8704
• Housing benefit cases: 5285
• Council Tax benefit cases: 8092
• Pensioner Housing / Council Tax benefit claimants: 5439
• Working age Housing / Council Tax benefit claimants: 3265
• Average weekly Housing benefit: £63.89
• Average weekly Council Tax benefit: £15.62
• Amount paid in Housing and Council Tax benefit in 2006/2007: £24 million

East Devon District Council is responsible for the collection of Council Tax on over 61,000 properties.

In East Devon there are 61,028 chargeable dwellings.

• By Council Tax band: A - 5,223 / B - 11,776 / C - 13,498 / D - 11,406 / E - 9,510 / F - 5,733 / G - 3,790 / H - 92

For an average Band D property, the weekly bill would be £26.04, of which:

• £2.18 goes to East Devon District Council
• £19.64 goes to Devon County Council
• £2.53 goes to Devon & Cornwall Police Authority
• £1.22 goes to Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Authority
• £0.47 to Town/Parish councils

Last year, EDDC had the 21st lowest Council Tax in England compared with 239 other similar councils.

EDDC charges about £54 a year less than Mid Devon, £61 a year less than West Devon and £38 a year less than North Devon.

For more detailed information go to the main Benefits page or Council Tax page

Page last updated on 22 January 2008