Council Tax discounts and exemptions

Council Tax support

If you’re on a low income or receive certain benefits, you may be able to get help with your Council Tax bill.

Council Tax Support can:

• reduce the amount you need to pay
• support people who are unemployed, working on a low income, or retired
• be applied for at any time if your circumstances change

Tell us about a change

If your circumstances change, you must let us know as soon as possible. This helps make sure your bill is correct and prevents overpayments.

Adults not counted for Council Tax purposes

Some people are not counted (‘disregarded’) when working out how many people live in a property. This means you might be able to apply for a discount on your Council Tax bill if you have one.

You’re disregarded if you’re:

• under 18 years old
• on certain apprentice schemes
• 18 or 19 years old and in full-time education
• a full-time student at college or university
• under 25 years old and get funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency
• a student nurse
• a foreign language assistant registered with the British Council
• severely mentally impaired
• a live-in carer for someone who is not your partner, spouse, or child under 18
• a diplomat.

If you are the only adult in the property because someone in your property has gone away to college or university, then you can claim a 25% reduction on your bill due to sole adult occupancy. Students will need to provide a Council Tax certificate from their college or university, which should confirm the course is full-time and the start and end dates.