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• Council Tax Discounts

Council Tax Discounts

Single Occupier Discount

It is possible to get a discount of 25% off your Council Tax bill if you are the only adult aged 18 or over living in the dwelling. If there are no residents up to a 50% discount may apply. Please contact us for more information.

Disabled person reduction

Where there is a disabled person resident in the dwelling it may be possible to reduce the amount of Council Tax payable. There must be either:

• a second kitchen or bathroom, or an additional room (other than a kitchen or bathroom) which is mainly used by the disabled person, or
• enough space for the disabled person to use a wheelchair indoors.

If this room or space is essential or of major importance to the wellbeing of the disabled person then an allowance can be made by reducing the Band on which the Council Tax is charged to the next band below.

Empty Discount/second homes

The Council Tax bill for an unoccupied property, or a second home, may attract a discount.

Apprentice

You will be disregarded if you are an apprentice employed to learn a trade, business, profession, office employment or vocation and, as part of that learning, are undertaking training leading to a qualification recognised by the National Council for Vocation Qualifications. Your maximum income per week (before tax and national insurance) must not exceed £195.

Youth Training Trainee

You will be disregarded if you are under 25 and are receiving training in line with an individual training plan under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973 which is funded by the Learning and Skills Council for England, such as TCT, Options, Future and Next Step.

Student

You will be disregarded if you are a student (or an overseas student) on a full-time or qualifying course of education at a prescribed educational establishment.

Student nurses who are on Project 2000 courses, are classed as students for Council Tax purposes.

You will be disregarded if you are the spouse or dependent of a student, and not a British citizen, and prevented either from taking paid employment or from claiming benefits under the terms of your permission to be in the UK.

Student Nurses

You will be disregarded if you are a student nurse on a course leading to registration under the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1997.

Student nurses studying academic courses at universities or who are on Project 2000 courses, are excluded from this definition as they are considered as students.

18 and 19 year olds in Further Education

You will be disregarded if you are 18 or 19 years old and are in full-time education, (other than higher education),lasting at least three calendar months, which is not a correspondence course or undertaken as part of employment and study is normally carried out between 8.00am and 5.30pm. This includes people of that age who are at school or college and are on courses up to, and including, A-level standard.

18 year olds still eligible for Child Benefit

Discounts may apply if a member of your household is over 18, but is still entitled to receive Child Benefit because they are still at school.

School and college leavers under the age of 20

Discounts may apply until the 31st October of the same year if a member of your household in under 20 and has left school after 1st May and was undertaking a course of education no higher than A-level.

Resident hospital patients

Discounts may apply if a member of a household leaves the property to go into hospital permanently, or does not intend to return to the property, but enter a nursing home, for example.

People who are severely mentally impaired

Discounts may apply if a member of a household suffers from a mental impairment which causes severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning (however caused) which appears to be permanent, this includes people who suffer from a degenerative brain disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease, a stroke or other forms of dementia, and one of the prescribed allowances found on the form.

Care Workers

Discounts may apply if a member of a household is living in the property to care for someone else either on behalf of a charity, or after being introduced by a charitable body or is caring for someone in receipt of one of the prescribed benefits found on the form.

Carers employed on or behalf of certain charities or official bodies must be employed for at least 24 hours a week and be paid no more than £44 per week and be resident in premises provided by, or on behalf of the organisation.

Carers introduced by a charitable organisation must be providing care or support for at least 24 hours a week, be earning no more than £44 per week and be resident in premises provided by, or on behalf of the person being cared for.

People in prison and other forms of detention

Discounts may apply if a member of the household is not resident there due to being detained elsewhere, either by order of a court, under the deportation provisions of the Immigration Act 1971, the Mental Health Act 1983, the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 or imprisoned or detained for more than 48 hours under the Army Act 1955, the Air Force Act 1955 or the Naval Discipline Act 1957.

Members of international headquarters and defence organisations

Discounts may apply if a person(s) in the household is a member or dependant of a foreign defence organisation, as listed in section 1 of the International Headquarters and Defence Organisations Act 1964.

Members of visiting forces

Discounts may apply if members of a household are members of Visiting Forces or their dependants are neither British citizens nor ordinarily resident in the UK.

Persons detained under the Mental Health Act

Discounts may apply if a member of the household is detained under the Mental Health Act 1983.

Patients in care homes or a hostel

Discounts may apply if a member of the household is receiving care or treatment in a care or nursing home the care home must fall within the meaning of the Care Standards Act 2000 or the National Assistance Act 1948.

Residents in hostels and night shelter for homeless people

Discounts may apply if a member of the household is living in a hostel for homeless people, most accommodation must be communal and most occupants must be occupying under licence and not hold tenancies.

A hostel refers to a bail or probation hostel and hostels that provide mainly communal residential accommodation and personal care for people who need it because of old age, disablement, past or present alcohol or drug dependence or past or present mental disorder.

Members of religious communities

This category refers mainly to monks and nuns, it covers communities whose principle occupation consists of prayer, contemplation, education and the relief of suffering. If you think you may qualify for discount under this category and whose members have no income or capital of their own and are dependant on the community to provide for their material needs.

Persons belonging to the various religious denominations (e.g. Church of England, Methodist) and who may attend church on a regular basis are not included in this category

If you need to contact one of our teams, please look at the tabs below to see their contact details.

Last updated: 25 February 2010