Apprentices
If you are employed as an apprentice, you may be able to get a discount. To get the discount, you’ll need to be:
- Employed to learn a trade or profession.
- Doing a training programme which will lead to a qualification accredited by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications (NVCQ).
- Earning a salary that is no more than £195.00 gross per week, and is substantially less than you will receive after you’ve qualified.
Band reduction due to disability
If you, or someone who lives with you, need a room, an extra bathroom, kitchen, or extra space for wheelchair circulation in your property (to meet your disability needs), you may be entitled to a reduced Council Tax bill.
Your bill is likely to be reduced by one banding. That means it will be the same as a property in the band immediately below your property’s Council Tax banding.
This reduction makes sure that any extra space that you need (to help you better manage your disability), doesn’t then lead to an increase in the amount of tax you have to pay.
If you need to know more information about any Disability Benefits you may be entitled to, visit GOV.UK. If you need to know how this may affect any claim for Council Tax Support, contact Benefits Services.
Care workers
If you are a care worker, you can apply for a discount if you:
- Are providing care or support through a connection with the Crown, a charity or a Local Authority.
- Are employed for at least 24 hours per week, paid no more than £30.00 per week gross and are resident where you provide the care.
To apply, you’ll need to prove your carer’s registration through the appropriate qualifying body.
Child Benefit
If you are over 18 and still claiming child benefit, you won’t need to pay Council Tax. This is usually the case if you are still in full-time education.
To provide evidence of this, you’ll need to complete this form: persons in receipt of child benefit application form and provide a photocopy of the front two pages of your Child Benefit Book or letter of entitlement from the Child Benefit office.
Foreign language assistants
If you are a Foreign Language assistant, and registered with the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges, you won’t need to pay Council Tax whilst you are working at a school or other educational establishment in Great Britain.
You’ll need a letter confirming you’re registered with the bureau and the dates of your placement.
Hospital patients
If you live in a NHS or military hospital, you don’t have to pay Council Tax. This discount does not apply to private dwellings – if you have left your home to live in a hospital, you won’t be counted as being a resident at your home address.
You’ll need a letter from the hospital, confirming that the only residents in receipt of care are in-patients.
Members of international headquarters
If you are a member (or dependant of that member) of an International Headquarter or a Defence Organisation, you won’t need to pay Council Tax.
You’ll need proof of membership of the relevant organisation.
Members of religious communities
Members of religious communities won’t need to pay Council Tax if their main job is prayer, contemplation, education, the relief of suffering, or any combination of these.
To apply for this Council Tax exemption, you must be dependent on your community for your material needs and have no income or capital of your own.
As evidence, you’ll need a letter from your religious order confirming the above. If everyone in your property meets the criteria above, a 50% discount will apply.
Non-British spouses of students
If you are the spouse or dependant of a student, you don’t need to pay Council Tax if:
- You are not a British citizen
- Immigration regulations prevent you from taking paid employment or from claiming benefits whilst in the UK
- If you live with the student and no one else, the property you live in will be exempt
As evidence, you’ll need to show the student’s certificate and written confirmation of your relationship to the student.
Patients in homes
Anyone who lives in a residential home, nursing home, mental nursing home or hostel, and is receiving care in that home or hostel, is exempt from Council Tax.
- If someone now lives in a home and has left their property with one person in it, then a single occupier discount will apply on their home address.
- If they have left their home address empty, it will be exempt from Council Tax.
People in detention
Anyone in prison, hospital, or any other place decided by a civilian court will be exempt from paying Council Tax. If the person in detention was the only person living in their property and the property is now unoccupied, the property will be exempt.
Evidence – you’ll need to complete a liable person in detention form.
People with diplomatic privileges or immunities
If you have Diplomatic privileges, your main property is exempt from Council Tax.
You’ll need to provide evidence of your Diplomatic status – letter from Government etc.
Residential carers
You may get a discount if you are a carer and you are:
- Living in the same home as the person being cared for
- Providing care for at least 35 hours per week on average
- Not a disqualified relative of the person being cared for (spouse or partner or parent if the person being cared for is a child under 18 years old).
The disabled person receiving the care must be in receipt of one of the following benefits in order to qualify:
- Any rate of Attendance Allowance under Section 65 of the Social Security Contributions & Benefits Act 1992
- The middle or highest rate of the Care Component of a Disability Living Allowance under Section 72(4)(a) of that Act
- The standard or enhanced rate of the Daily Living Component of Personal Independence Payments
- An increase in the rate of the persons’ Disablement Pension under Section 104 of that Act
- An increase in a constant Attendance Allowance under the proviso to Article 14 of the Personal Injuries (civilians) Scheme 1983, Article 14 (1)(b) of the Naval, Military & Air Forces etc (disablement & death) Services Pension Order 1983
Evidence: Completed Application for Carers Disregard form and copy of qualifying benefit entitlement award.
Residents of hostels
Anyone who is resident in homeless accommodation is exempt from Council Tax, as long as the accommodation is not made up of self-contained units and the person has no permanent address.
You’ll need to provide a letter from the body that runs the hostel to confirm that the property is used as a hostel for the homeless and confirm that the only residents are people with no fixed address.
School or college leavers
This exemption is for people aged 18 or 19 years old who leave school or college between 1 May and 31 October. They will be exempt until the next 1 November.
This is to account for people leaving school and entering further education after the summer holidays. By the 1 November, their exemption should be confirmed by the fact they are back in full-time education.
As evidence, they will need to complete a school and college leavers form along with confirmation of their leaving date.
Severe mental impairment
A person is exempt from Council Tax if they are severely mentally impaired and are stated as such by a General Medical Practitioner and are receiving one of the applicable qualifying benefits.
Evidence – proof of entitlement to qualifying benefit and completed application form certified by their Doctor and completed severe mental impairment form.
Visiting forces
You can get a discount on your Council Tax if you are with a Visiting Force. You don’t need to be a member but could be a civilian attached to that force, or a dependant of a member.
The discount only applies if the person liable to pay is not connected with the force. If the person who is liable to pay the Council Tax is connected with the Visiting Force, the property would be exempt from Council Tax.
Evidence – a letter from the taxpayer applying for the discount, and proof of their posting to this area (copy of a certificate or posting papers).
Youth training trainee
If you are under 25 and are taking part in training organised through the Employment and Training Act 1973, you can get a discount on your Council Tax. Other schemes include Options, Future and Next Step.
As proof, you’ll need to complete a Discount for Apprentice/Youth Training Form and evidence of Youth Training status (ie letter from course supervisor, etc.)