Stipend counted as partner income for CT purposes.

Slight complication on that Council Tax advice. It is true that as a student you are not counted at all for Council Tax, however when my wife applied for Council Tax benefit (she is unemployed and would normally get full CT benefit) the council insisted on counting all of my Stipend income as family income, i.e. her income and therefore she was required to pay 75% of council tax bill. (25% reduction for being the only eligible adult in the property).
We have appealed against this (unsuccessfully so far). Councils seem to apply the rules in different ways. The rules say the student is 'invisible' as far as CT calculations go, but even if the stipend was to be counted it is not all income as much of it goes on research expenses yet the council was not interested in this either.