Paying your Council Tax is as important as paying your rent or mortgage, fuel bills and child maintenance. We may take legal action if you do not pay your Council Tax so please do not ignore any reminders we send. If you ignore a reminder, you will be sent a court summons and will have to pay additional costs.

Council Tax is normally paid over 10 monthly instalments. You may be able to spread your payments over 12 months instead to reduce the amount you pay each month.

Payments can usually be spread up to March of the current Council Tax year. The number of instalments available will depend on when you ask during the year.

For example:

• if you ask earlier in the year, you may be able to pay over 12 months
• if you ask later in the year, there may be fewer instalments available

If you would like to spread your payments over more months, please email taxation@crawley.gov.uk and we will look at the options available for your account.

If you pay by Direct Debit, you can also choose an alternative payment date of the 15th or 25th of the month, instead of the default 1st of the month.

You can select these options when completing the Council Tax Direct Debit eform below:

If you are on a low income, you may be entitled to help with paying your Council Tax.  Find out more information about claiming Council Tax Reduction on our Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction webpage.

If you are experiencing severe financial difficulty, we may be able to help with a discretionary reduction in your Council Tax.

Before applying, please check whether you may qualify for Council Tax Reduction benefit, as this is the main scheme that helps people on a low income with their Council Tax.

If you have already applied for Council Tax Reduction benefit and still need further support, you can complete the Council Tax discretionary relief application below and email it to taxation@crawley.gov.uk.

For more information, read our Council Tax discretionary relief guidance below:

If you are struggling with money or are worried about paying your Council Tax, visit our Help with money worries webpage for support with:

• debt and budgeting
• benefits and bills
• housing costs
• food and household expenses

You can also get free and independent advice through Citizens Advice and StepChange. Visit the Citizens Advice website for Council Tax advice. You can also visit the StepChange website for debt advice.