Citizens Advice has a budgeting tool a person can use to work out how much of their income they can afford to spend on their council tax bill each month.

Hard-up Britons may also want to check if they can get a discount on their council tax bill as a person may not have to pay anything at all.

People who live alone are entitled to a 25 percent discount while some people are counted as ‘disregarded’ when the council tax rate or a property is calculated.

If all those who live in a property are disregarded, the bill will be reduced by 50 percent. There will be no bill at all if a student or severely mentally ill person lives in the home.