How to apply

If you want to apply for a discount, exemption, or reduction, you can do so by clicking on the links below.

All of the forms can be submitted online.

You may also be able to:

  • Apply for council tax benefit
  • Appeal against your council tax band

Council Tax discounts and exemptions

There are various types of discounts and exemptions available to Council Tax payers. They do not depend on income but instead are granted if certain conditions are met.

Important: reporting changes in circumstances

If your circumstances change after you have been granted a reduction, it could affect your entitlement - for example, if another adult moves into your property, or someone turns 18 years old.

You must tell us about any changes in circumstances that would affect your reduction, within 21 days of the change. To do this complete our online change in circumstance form or contact us on 020 8496 3000 today.

Reductions for people with disabilities

You may be able to get your bill reduced if your home has certain features that are essential or extremely important to the well-being of a person (adult or child) with a disability who lives in your home. These features are:

  • A room, other than a bathroom, kitchen or toilet which is used mainly by the person with a disability; or
  • A second bathroom or kitchen which is required for meeting the needs of the person with a disability; or
  • Sufficient floor space inside your home for using a wheelchair

If you are entitled to a reduction, your bill will be reduced to the amount due for a property in the next valuation band down. For example, If your home is in valuation band "D", your bill will be reduced to the amount for a band "C" property.

If you want to apply then complete an online Application for Council Tax reduction for people with disabilities, or contact Revenues and Benefits Service for more information.

Discounts

To apply for any of the discounts below,please complete one of our online application forms.

Single person discount

If you are the only person aged 18 or over living in your home, you are entitled to 25% off your Council Tax bill. Fill in our online Application for single person discount form to set up your discount.

Unoccupied properties and second homes

  • If you are leaving your property empty but furnished you are entitled to 10% off your Council tax bill Fill in our new online Application for empty and furnished discount to have your discount awarded
  • If your property is empty and unfurnished, the full council tax is payable once the 6-month exemption period has expired

Other Council Tax discounts

You will not normally be able to claim a Council Tax discount if two or more adults live in your home. However, certain people are "not counted" when we work out how many people live in a property:

  • If all but one of the adults living in your home are not counted, you can get a 25% discount
  • If all the adults living in your home are not counted, you can get a 50% discount

Who is not counted?

These are the groups of people who are not counted:

A person who has child benefit paid for them

If there is only one adult who is counted, besides the person for whom child benefit is paid, Fill in our new online form if you are receiving child benefit for someone who is over 18 years.

School and college leavers or full time students

Regulations issued under the Local Government Finance Act 1992 provide that full time students will be disregarded if on that day they are:

  • Enrolled for the purpose of attending a full time course of education at a prescribed educational establishment, which broadly includes universities and higher education colleges etc
  • The full time course must be one which lasts for at least one academic year (or calendar year), where the student is required to attend for at least 24 weeks in each year and undertakes periods of study, tuition or work experience which together, averages at least 21 hours per week
    or
  • A student nurse undertaking a course which would (if successfully completed) lead to registration of parts 1 to 6,8,10 or 11 of the Register maintained under section 10 of the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1979 (a) as a first inclusion on that register.  Student Nurses who are on Project 2000 courses also count as students
    or
  • Under the age of 20 and undertaking a qualifying course of further (not higher) education such as A-levels or BTEC National certificates
  • The course must be one which lasts for more than 3 calendar months where the relevant number of hours per week exceeds 12
    or
  • Foreign language assistants who are registered with the Central Bureau for Educational visits and exchanges

If everyone living in your home is a full time student or severely mentally impaired, you will not have to pay Council Tax  Please apply using the online application for students shown below.

If you have read this criteria and are a full time student then you can fill in our online application for student exemption

Person has passed away

The Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992 specifies that certain types of properties will be exempt from Council Tax if they meet the criteria stated below.

  • Properties that have been left empty due the occupier passing away and
  • Where the personal representative of a person who has passed away, has been granted probate or letters of administration This will last for a 6 month period after probate or letters of administration have been awarded

If you now live on your own due to your partner passing away or a property has been left empty due to the occupier passing away please fill in our application form for a person who has died.

Severely mentally impaired

Regulations issued under the Local Government Finance Act 1992 provide that persons with severe mental impairment will be disregarded if:

They are entitled to one of the qualifying benefits below:

  • Incapacity benefit (ICB) (previously known as invalidity pension) or
  • Attendance allowance (AA) or
  • Severe disablement allowance (SDA) or
  • The highest or middle rate care component of a disability living allowance or
  • An increase in a disablement pension for constant attendance or
  • Disability working allowance. (DWA) or
  • Unemployability supplement (this benefit has been abolished but existing claimants remain  entitled) or
  • Constant attendance allowance (payable under industrial injuries or war pensions schemes) or
  • Unemployability allowance (payable under industrial injuries or war pensions schemes) or
  • From 1 April 1994, income support which includes a disability premium because of the claimants incapacity for work.

Please Note:From 1 April 1996:If a Severely Mentally Impaired applicant has reached pensionable age and would have been entitled to any of the above had they not reached pensionable age, they will still qualify as satisfying this part of the criteria.

From 8 January 1997:A Severely Mentally Impaired applicant can also claim the discount if they are the partner of a person in receipt of Job seekers’ Allowance which is income based and which includes a disability premium or higher pensioner premium.

A registered doctor or medical practitioner can confirm in writing that their medical condition is severely mentally impaired

If you have read this criteria and believe you are entitled to an exemption or disregard then you can fill in our new online application for a person who is severely mentally impaired

Person who is providing care elsewhere

You can apply for this discount if you or your partner (or both) provides care or support (or both)

  • To another person on behalf of a local authority or charitable body,

The carer must:

  • Be providing care or support on behalf of a local authority, a government department or a charitable body and resident in premises provided by, or on behalf of that organisation so that the best care can be provided.
  • Be employed for at least 24 hours a week; and
  • To someone who is in receipt of certain benefits. This includes:
    • Higher rate attendance allowance, or
    • The highest rate care component of DLA, or
    • An increase in constant attendance allowance under the industrial injuries or war pensions scheme, or
    • The highest rate of constant attendance allowance payable on top of full rate disablement benefit paid for an industrial injury
  • Providing care to another person and is employed by the person being cared for and was introduced by a charitable body,

The carer must:

  • Be employed to provide care by the person who needs the care for at least 24 hours a week; and
  • Be earning not more that £36 from this employment, and
  • Have been introduced to the person by a charitable body; and
  • Be resident in home of the person who the care is being provided for to enable the best care.
  • Be resident in the same property as the person being cared for; and
  • Be providing care for at least 35 hours per week on average, and
  • Not be the partner of the person being cared for, or if the person needing care is under 18, not the child’s parent; and
  • Be caring for someone entitled to:
    • Higher rate attendance allowance, or
    • The highest rate care component of DLA, or
    • An increase in constant attendance allowance under the industrial injuries or war pensions scheme, or
    • The highest rate of constant attendance allowance payable on top of full rate disablement benefit paid for an industrial injury

If you have read this criteria and are providing care elsewhere then you can fill our new online application form for providing care elsewhere

Person who is receiving care elsewhere

This exemption can apply where someone has moved elsewhere to receive care which is not a hospital, nursing home, hostel or care home e.g. normally with a relative. The move must be a permanent move and there be no intention to return to the property. The property left empty must have been their previous sole or main residence.

To qualify they must be receiving care for one of the following reasons:

  • Old age
  • Disablement
  • Illness
  • Past or present alcohol or drug dependence
  • Past or present mental disorder

Proof is required for the following

  • Change of residence being permanent e.g. the property is up for sale or the tenancy has ended.
  • Proof that the carer has been granted a carer's discount in the relevant authority or
  • proof that the person being cared for is receiving one of the following: Higher rate Attendance Allowance or
    the higher rate care component of Disability Living Allowance or
    An increase in constant AA under the industrial injuries or war pension scheme or
    The highest rate of constant AA payable on top of full-rate DB paid in respect of an industrial injury

If you have read this criteria and are providing care elsewhere then you can fill our new online application form for receiving care elsewhere

Person whose main home is a hostel, hospital, residential care home or nursing home

You can apply for this exemption or discount if you or your partner have

  • moved out from your main residence to live in a care home or hospital in England, in order to receive care or treatment.

If you have read the criteria and your main resident is now a care home or hospital they you can fill in our new online application moving to a care home.

Exempt properties

In some cases, a property may be exempt from council tax - this means you do not have to pay anything for the time it is qualifies for exemption. The Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992 sets out when a property will be exempt from Council Tax.

Unoccupied properties left empty and unfurnished

The Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992 specifies that certain types of properties will be exempt from Council Tax if they meet the criteria stated below.

Class A i. Unoccupied properties that are new or that have been structurally altered to form a new property This exemption will apply for 6-months if the property remains empty and unfurnished.

Class A ii Unoccupied that are having major repair work or structural changes. This exemption lasts for a maximum of 12-months if the property remains empty and unfurnished

To apply for these exemptions fill in our new online form application for empty and unfurnished or uninhabitable exemption

Properties that have been repossessed

This is an indefinite exemption and would normally arise when a lender (Bank, Building Society) has repossessed a property.

If your property has been repossessed then you can apply for an exemption using our new application form property repossessed

Unoccupied Properties left empty as now in prison

You can apply for an exemption if you have left your property empty due to being detained in prison, hospital or other place of detention.

You can apply for a discount if you are the only adult occupier over 18 years old living in your property due to the second adult who was living in the property being detained in prison, hospital or other place of detention.

To meet these criteria you need to be detained by an order of the court, or are in custody under military law, or are remanded in custody, even if not actually held in prison.

This exemption/discount will not apply under the following circumstance:

  • If the arrested person has not been remanded by a court.
  • If the person has been imprisonment for non-payment of fines or non-payment of Council tax.

If you meet the criteria you can apply using our online form  

The list below shows other exemptions that are available to apply for

You can apply for any of the following exemptions if you meet the listed criteria by completing our online form today

  • Unoccupied properties that are owned and were last used by charities.
    • Proof of ownership by a registered charity is required.
  • Unoccupied properties in which it illegal to live
    • Proof is required that the property has been prohibited by law and prevents occupation,
    • Is imposed by any planning permission granted or deemed to be granted under Part 3 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990
  • Unoccupied properties that are awaiting ministers of religion to move in, who will perform their duties from the property.
    • Proof that the property is owned by a charity is required.
  • Unoccupied properties that are left empty by a full time student that has left to study elsewhere (must be a full time student within 6-weeks of leaving the property)
    • Proof of student status and place of residence required (tenancy agreement, halls of residence etc)
  • Unoccupied properties where the person responsible for paying is a trustee in bankruptcy.
    • Proof that you are trustee in bankruptcy under the Bankruptcy Act 1914 or the Insolvency Act 1986 is required.
  • Properties occupied only by under 18 year olds
  • Properties where the person responsible for paying is a diplomat.
    • Proof from The foreign and Commonwealth Wealth office of your diplomatic status
  • Armed forces accommodation for non-visiting forces
  • Armed forces accommodation for visiting forces
  • Unoccupied annex which forms part of a home but is not being lived in.
  • An occupied Granny annex
    • Must be the sole or main residence of a dependant relative of a person who lives in the other property.
  • A pitch or mooring which is not occupied by a caravan or boat
  • Student Halls or residence
    • Proof will be required of full-time study as well as details of term time address, i.e. tenancy agreement or proof in hall of residence.

Alternatively if you, or someone in your property, falls into one of the categories and you think you may be entitled to a discount, you can contact Revenues and Benefits Service or call us on 020 8496 3000 direct for more information,