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Council Tax Discounts

Council Tax Discounts
Council Tax bills generally assume that there are two or more adults living in a property. However there are a range of discounts available as follows:

Single Person Discount (25%)
If only one adult lives in a property or if additional people are disregarded for the purposes of Council Tax (see below).

Long-Term Empty Discount (50%)
If the property is unfurnished and it is no-ones sole or main residence.

Prescribed Class A Discount (10%)
Properties that are furnished, no-one's sole or main residence and which people are not allowed to live in for at least 28 continuous days in a row each year.

Prescribed Class B Discount (10%)
Properties that are furnished, no-one's sole or main residence and which people are allowed to live in for at least 28 days in a row each year. These include second homes and furnished properties which are available for let.

Discount Disregards
When we are working out how many people live in a property, we do not count the following groups of people:

• Patients resident in hospital
• People who are being looked after in care homes
• People who are severely mentally impaired
• People staying in certain hostels and night shelters
• 18/19 year olds who are at or have just left school
• Care workers working for low pay, usually for charities
• People caring for someone with a disability who is not a spouse, partner, or child under 18
• Members of visiting forces and certain international institutions
• Members of religious communities (e.g. monks and nuns)
• People in prison (except for non payment of Council Tax or a fine)
• Non-British spouses of students
• People with diplomatic immunity
• Full time students, student nurses, apprentices and youth training trainees.

If you are on your own in a property and one of the discount disregards above applies to you, then you will be given a 50% discount.

If all the people in a property are not counted then a 50% discount will be given. However if all the people in the property are either full-time students or severely mentally impaired the property will be exempt from paying any Council Tax.

Second Homes
If a property is no one's sole or main residence and also furnished, then there will be a 10% discount off the full Council Tax bill. If the property is unfurnished then it will be exempt from Council Tax for the first 6 months. After 6 months you will have to pay 50% of the Council Tax.

If you wish to claim a Discount please complete our Query Form, giving us full details of your circumstances. We may need to contact you requesting further information.