Reducing your council tax
Types of reduction
Are you either:
- on a low income or
- sharing a home with someone over 18, who is not your partner, who doesn't pay rent and is on a low income (partner is someone you are married to or living with as if you were married)
if the answer is yes to either of the above go to the Council Tax Benefit section
Otherwise, do any of the following apply to you?
- I am the only person over 18 in the property
- a permanently disabled person (whether an adult or child) lives in the dwelling. (More information on disability reductions).
or someone in your property is:
- A Student, Student Nurse, Apprentice or Youth Training Trainee (More information on student reductions).
- A Non-British husband or wife or dependant of a Student (who is prevented by the terms of her / his leave to enter or remain in the UK from working or claiming benefit.
- Under 20 and still at school or has just left school
- A person who still has Child Benefit paid for them
- A person who is a Foreign Language Assistant
- A person who is severely mentally impaired
- A Carer
- In prison or held somewhere else by the authorities
- Living in a care home
- A Member of a Religious Community
- A person who lives in a hostel for the homeless or a night shelter
- A Member (or dependant) of International Headquarters and defence organisations
- A Member (or dependant) of a Visiting Force; or
- A person with diplomatic immunity or privileges
or your property is unoccupied and:
- Requires or is undergoing major repair or undergoing structural alteration (exemption allowed for up to one year only or 6 months from completion of the works, whichever the sooner)
- owned by a charity (exemption allowed for up to six months only)
- unfurnished (exemption allowed for up to six months only)
- left empty by someone who has gone to prison
- left empty by someone who has moved to receive personal care in a hospital or a home, or elsewhere
- waiting for probate or letters of administration to be granted (exemption continues for up to six months after being granted).
- empty because occupation is forbidden by law
- waiting to be occupied by a minister of religion
- left empty by someone who has moved out to provide personal care to another person
- owned by a student and was last occupied by that student
- has been repossessed
- the responsibility of a bankrupt's trustee
- a site for an individual caravan or mobile home, or a mooring
- difficult to let because they are linked to, or in the grounds of, another property and may not be let separately from that other property without breaching, planning permission. The liable person must, however, live in the other property to qualify.
or your property is occupied and:
- occupied entirely by students
- are forces barracks and married quarters. Their occupants will contribute to the cost of local services through a special arrangement.
- at least one liable person is a member of a visiting force
- all the residents are less than 18 years of age
- all the residents are severely mentally impaired
- at least one liable person is a foreign diplomat
- are annexed to a family home and occupied by that family's elderly or disabled relatives.
If any of the above apply you can contact our Council Tax Team to apply for a reduction in your council tax or download a form below.
Please remember, while you are waiting for the outcome of an application, you must continue to pay your current bill. If this causes any problem, please contact us immediately.
