Some people can get a discount on their Council Tax. Council Tax discounts don’t depend on your income or savings. Council Tax discounts depend on who lives in your home.

You might be able to get Council Tax Support as well as a Council Tax Discount.
 

Updated: June 2022

If you are the only adult who lives in your home, you can get a 25% discount on your Council Tax bill. You will need to tell your council that you are the only adult living in your home and apply for the discount.

Your income and savings won’t affect this discount.

Some people can get a single person discount even if other adults live in their home. This applies if the other adults aren’t counted for Council Tax because they are students or because they are ‘severely mentally impaired’. 

If you are claiming Child Benefit for someone who is over 18 and in education, they will not count as an adult for Council Tax. 

Reviewed: June 2022
 

Full time students do not have to pay Council Tax.

For Council Tax discounts, full time students are people on a course that:

• Lasts at least one year, and

• Means you are supposed to spend at least 21 hours per week studying

Or people who are under 20 and on a course that:

• Leads to a qualification up to A Level, and

• Lasts at least three months, and

• Means you are supposed to spend at least 12 hours per week studying.

The definition of full time students for Council Tax is different to the definition for benefits. See our guide on Full time students and benefits for the definition of full time student for other benefits.

If there are only students living in the property, you will not have to pay any Council Tax. If there are students and non-students living in the property, you will have to pay some Council Tax but the students will not be counted. 

You should tell your local authority if anyone living in the property is a full-time student.

Your income and savings won’t affect whether you can get this discount.

Example

Faye lives with her adult son Tom, who is studying at University on a full-time course. Because Tom isn’t counted for Council Tax, Faye is entitled to a 25% single person discount.
 

Reviewed: June 2022

Disabled Band Reduction Scheme

People who need a larger house because of their disabilities or the disabilities of a member of their family can apply to their Council for the Disabled Band Reduction scheme. If you qualify for this, you will be charged Council Tax at a lower rate. 

You will need to show that your disabilities or your family member’s disabilities mean you need an extra room in your house or extra space for moving a wheelchair around.

Your income and savings won’t affect whether you can get help through this scheme.

To apply for this scheme, you should contact your local authority.

Severely Mentally Impaired

People who are considered ‘severely mentally impaired’ are not counted as adults when working out Council Tax.

Severe mental impairment means a permanent condition which severely affects intellectual and social functioning. This can include conditions like Parkinson’s, dementia, and learning disabilities.

You will need a certificate from your doctor saying that you are severely mentally impaired. 

If you are considered severely mentally impaired and you live with one other person who is not mentally impaired, you will get a 25% discount on your Council Tax.

If you are considered severely mentally impaired and you live with two or more other people who are not mentally impaired, you will not get any discount on your Council Tax.

If everyone in the house is severely mentally impaired, you will get a 50% or more discount on your Council Tax.

Your income and savings won’t affect whether you can get this discount.

If you live in Wales, there is a national scheme. You can download the form from the Welsh Government website.

If you live in England or Scotland, you should contact your local authority to ask for the form.

If you are a carer and you live in the same property as the person you care for, you might be able to get a discount on Council Tax.

You will need to provide more than 35 hours per week of care.

The person you care for needs to be getting one of these benefits:

• Disability Living Allowance (DLA) care component at the middle or high rate, or
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP) daily living component at any rate, or
• Adult disability Payment daily living component at the highest rate, or
• Child Disability Payment care component at the highest rate, or
• Attendance Allowance at any rate, or
• Armed Forces Independence Payment

The person you care for can’t be your husband, wife, civil partner or child under 18.

It doesn’t matter whether or not you’re getting Carer’s Allowance.

Your income and savings will not affect whether you can get this discount.

If you think this applies to you, speak to your local authority to ask how to apply for the discount.

Updated: June 2022