Council Tax discounts and exemptions

We are able to reduce your Council Tax bill in some circumstances.

For second and empty home see our reductions for empty properties page

If you're on a low income see our Council Tax support page.

Single Person Discount and other exemptions

A full Council Tax bill assumes that there are at least two adults using the property as their sole or main residence. If only one adult lives in the property we reduce your bill by 25 per cent, known as a Single Person Discount.

Apply for or Cancel a Single Person Discount

When calculating your bill we don't count certain people. These include:

Full time students
Apprentices
Student nurses
School or college leavers under 20 but over 18 still receiving child benefit
People who care for an elderly or disabled person who lives with them
People who are severely mentally impaired, such as those suffering with Dementia or Alzheimers
Members of religious communities
People in detention
Foreign diplomats
Members of visiting forces and certain international institutions
Care workers working for low pay, usually charities
People staying in certain hostels or night shelters
People who now permanently live in hospital

Second Homes Discount

Second homes are classed as properties which are furnished but not occupied as anyone's main home. No discount is awarded.

Apply for a reduction in your Council Tax

Complete and return the relevant application form from the list below:

Council Tax reductions in special circumstances (Section 13A)

We can sometimes give a short-term Council Tax reduction to people who find themselves unexpectedly in difficult circumstances. This type of reduction can apply to both occupied and unoccupied properties. It is called a Section 13A reduction because it comes under Section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act.

We can only give Section 13A reductions in exceptional situations. The money to cover the reductions comes out of the council’s own funds, so the decision to grant a reduction and how much is at our discretion.

Exceptional situations might include where the Council Tax payer faces sudden financial problems they could not have expected.

The full policy, including the eligibility criteria, is available to download on this webpage.

If you wish to apply for this reduction, please complete the application form and submit it to the council.

PDF Icon Council Tax Reduction Discretionary Payments Policy - pdf - 451 Kb

PDF Icon S13a Application Form - pdf - 315 Kb

Student discount

You do not need to pay Council Tax if you are a student and you can get a discount if someone in your household is a student.

Student Discount Form - docx - 61 Kb

Council Tax reductions for disabled people

You may be eligible for a reduction in the Council Tax banding of your property if you live in a larger property than you would otherwise need because you or another occupant are disabled. To be eligible, you need to show you have either:

an extra bathroom, kitchen or other room that you need for the disabled person
extra space inside the property for using a wheelchair

The property must be the main home of at least one disabled person. This can be an adult or a child - it doesn’t have to be the person responsible for paying Council Tax.

If you apply for the reduction and these criteria are met, then your Council Tax bill is reduced to the amount payable for a home in the valuation band below yours. If you are in the lowest band already (Band A) you get a reduction of one sixth of the bill.

To apply please complete and return this form:

Disabled Band Reduction Application Form - docx - 63 Kb

A discount is also available for people who are seriously mentally impaired:

Severely mentally impaired discount or exemption - docx - 76 Kb

Exemption for people now living in hospital or a care home

If a person's home is left empty as a result of them permanently living in a hospital or care home, and they remain the liable person for Council Tax purposes, they may be entitled to an exemption from Council Tax. If they return home between treatments it does not qualify as permanent.

Apprentice discount

An apprentice discount is also available:

Apprentice Discount Application Form - docx - 59 Kb

Report a change in circumstances

If you are claiming a discount and your circumstances change you must inform us of the changes immediately. If you don't let us know it may mean that your charge will be backdated to the date of the change and an instalment facility not given.