You may be entitled to a 25 per cent reduction in your council tax bill if you are the only person (aged 18 or over) living in a property.
When you register for council tax, you can tell us whether you are eligible for a sole occupier discount.
If you have already registered and your occupancy status changes and you are now the only person liable for council tax in your property, you can apply for a single person discount in My Account.
Apply for a sole occupier discount
Or you can contact the council tax team to let us know.
What happens if someone else over 18 moves into the property?
Please use the move in /out option in My Account. This will affect the discount.
What happens if you falsely claim the discount?
This is a criminal offence and you may be liable to pay a penalty.
The council tax charge is based upon the number of people living in a dwelling. If you are 'disregarded' it means that we do not count you when we work out the number of people living in there.
When counting the number of people living in a dwelling, if there is just one person living there, a 25% discount may be granted. If all the residents at a dwelling are 'disregarded' a 50% discount may be granted.
These disregarded categories are:
If an adult or a child in your household needs more space or a room to meet special needs because of their disability, you may be entitled to a reduction in your council tax.
The government’s Valuation Office Agency has put homes in one of eight valuation bands, from A to H. If you are entitled to this reduction we will work out your bill using the band below the current band of your property. For example, if your home is in band D, we will work out your bill using band C. For band A properties, we will reduce the council tax by one ninth of the band D amount.
We will reduce the council tax if a physically disabled person needs at least one of the following:
If you think you or someone in your household may be entitled to this reduction the best way to do this is to register with My Account, where you can complete a disabled relief form.
Apply for Disabled persons council tax reduction
Or contact the council tax team to ask us to send one to you.
Once we receive your completed form, we may contact you to arrange for someone from the council to visit your property. We may also contact your doctor, occupational therapist or social worker.
We will let you know our decision within 15 working days.
No, your income does not affect this your disability reduction but we will need to confirm each year that your circumstances haven’t changed.
Every householder or tenant normally has to pay council tax. Full-time students may be entitled to a discount or and exemption if the property is only occupied by full-time students.
A property that just full-time students live in is exempt from paying any council tax. Individual students are not exempt.
A 25 per cent discount may be given if all the residents except one are full-time students (for example, in a property that is jointly occupied by four people and three are full-time students).
We do not count people as students if they are between courses of full-time education.
The person who has to pay the council tax (their name will appear on the bill) must complete a student change form.
To complete the application you must have a council tax student certificate from the university or college for each student resident in the property. Council tax student certificates are only given to full-time students who are enrolled for one whole year and are studying for more than 21 hours a week.
Some properties are exempt from council tax. The different classes of exemption are listed below. Empty homes that are not exempt and remain empty for more than 2 years will attract empty homes premium.
Properties occupied by:
Unoccupied properties that:
A pitch or mooring that doesn’t have a caravan or boat on it is also exempt.
If you feel you are entitled to an exemption, please contact the council tax team.
The full rate of council tax must be paid on second homes and empty properties.
Since 1 April 2019, any property that has been empty for more than two years will be charged a 100 per cent premium council tax rate. This means you will pay double the amount. An empty property can be unoccupied or substantially unfurnished.
Two classes of properties are exempt from the premium:
If you want to object to the increased charge you have two options:
- Facebook
- Flickr
- Twitter
- Youtube
- Instagram
Close menu