Council Tax Discounts, Exemptions and Support

Discounts

Council Tax legislation assumes that there is more than one adult resident in a dwelling. Council Tax Discounts apply when 'qualifying people' living in a property fall into certain categories. Examples include Carers, Full Time Students and Single Occupants (Single Person Discount). There could also be other reasons why you may be entitled to a discount on the full Council Tax bill. To find out more information on Council Tax Discounts and which groups of people are not counted when looking at the number of adults resident in a dwelling, see Can I get a Council Tax Discount?

If you or a member of your household is disabled you may also be eligible for a reduction under the Council Tax Reduction for Disabilities Scheme. To apply for this reduction, and for more information, see our section on How do I claim Council Tax Disabilities Reduction?

You may also find the following Council Tax guide (opens new window) useful.

Exemptions

Council Tax Exemptions can apply to certain classes of property, or 'qualifying people' living in a property, can fall into an exempt category. To find out which dwellings are exempt from Council Tax see Can I get a Council Tax Exemption?

Support

The Local Council Tax Support Scheme (sometimes known as Council Tax Benefit) was introduced 1 April 2013. Council Tax Support is a means tested benefit designed to help people on a low income pay their Council Tax. For further details on eligibility criteria, how to claim and how Council Tax Support is applied, please refer to the relevant section below.

You may be eligible for a reduction under one or more of the above criteria, however you would not get both an 'Exemption' and 'Council Tax Support'.

You may also find our Housing Benefit page useful.