Council tax to rise in April – check if you could get a discount

If someone lives with at least one person who is physically disabled, the amount of council tax payable may be reduced, provided that there have been adaptations made to the house to suit their needs. The amount payable will be reduced to the rate of the band below.

Discounts aren’t generally provided for people who own a second home, however, some councils sometimes offer a ‘second home discount’ because no one lives there on a permanent basis. This discount might only be for a short time but could save up to 50 percent, so it’s suggested people contact their local council to see if they’re offering it.

Council tax discount – 100 percent

If everyone living in the home is a student or severely mentally impaired, they won’t have to pay any council tax at all.

People who are on a low income or on certain benefits could also be eligible to claim through the Council Tax Reduction scheme.

In regard to this scheme, some councils can offer as much as 100 percent discount on council tax bills, while others can marginally reduce it, but how much a person gets depends on their income; the number of children; benefits; residency status; savings; pensions; partner’s income; who lives with them.

As each local council runs its own Council Tax Support schemes, how a person makes a claim might differ depending on where they live.

However, the first thing a person should do when making a claim is to contact their local council.

People can find out what theirs might be by typing their postcode into this Government tool. The full list of eligibility rules can be found here.