Discounts & exemptionsHow can council tax bills be reduced?
They can be reduced by:
Discounts
Reductions for disabilities
Exemptions
Council Tax Benefit or a second adult rebate
You can find claim forms for many of the discounts and exemptions by visiting the page 'Claim forms and information leaflets'. If the form you need is not there, please contact the Council Tax office who will explain what you need to do to make a claim.
When do discounts apply?
Full council tax is charged where two or more adults live in a property. If only one person lives in a property, a 25% rebate is given. This is called a 'single person discount'.
In addition, some people are not counted in the number of adult residents. If, after discounting a person, the number of adult resident is only one, a 25% rebate is given. If all the residents are discounted, a 50% rebate is given.
For details of people that are discounted please see below:
Students and young people
This includes:
1),18 or 19 year olds that you are claiming child benefit for
2),Students under 20 in further education on recognised courses (for example, A-levels, BTEC)
3),18 or 19 year olds who left school or college after 30 April, for the period between the end of their course and the following 1 November
4),Full-time students or student nurses
5),Youth training trainees and apprentices
6),Non-British spouses of full-time students
Elderly and disabled people
This includes:
1),People who live with and care for a disabled person who is not their spouse, partner or child under 18
2),People living in residential care homes, nursing homes or mental nursing homes
3),People who are severely mentally impaired and receive certain benefits
4),Long-term patients in hospital
Others who do not pay
This includes:
1),People in prison (except those in prison for not paying council tax or a fine)
2),People staying in certain hostels and night shelters
3),Members of religious communities (such as monks or nuns)
4),Members of visiting forces or international headquarters and defence organisations
Reductions for disabilities
You may be able to get a reduction in your council tax if a disabled person lives at your address and he or she uses a wheelchair indoors, or if the property has:
1),An additional bathroom or kitchen especially for the disabled person
2),Another room used mainly to meet the disabled person's special needs
When can you get an exemption?
Some properties are exempt from council tax. The exemptions below are for occupied properties, and they last for as long as the property meets the description.
1),Hall of residence for students
2),Property where all the residents are full-time students and/or student nurses
3),UK armed forces accommodation
4),Visiting forces accommodation
5),Property where all the residents are under 18 years old
6),Property where all the residents are severely mentally impaired and would have to pay the council tax if this exemption did not exist
