Council Tax Discounts

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Last revised: 23 May 2008

Council Tax presumes that two adults are resident in every dwelling, however residents under the age of 18 are not counted. Certain categories of people are also not counted.

If you wish to apply for any of the discounts mentioned below please contact the Council on 01380 724911

Please follow this link to the Please remember to complete your name and address.

Single Person Discount -

If only one adult lives in a dwelling (as their main home) the council tax bill is reduced by a quarter (25%).
Please follow this link to the Single Person Discount Application Form (pdf, 13 KB)  Remember to complete your name and address.

Apprentice - You will not be counted if you are an apprentice employed to learn a trade, business, profession, office employment or vocation and, as part of that learning, are undertaking training leading to a qualification recognised by the National Council for Vocation Qualifications. Your maximum income per week (before tax and national insurance) must not exceed £190.

Youth Training Trainee - You will not be counted if you are under 25 and are receiving training in line with an individual training plan under section 2 of the Employment and Training Act 1973 which is funded by the Learning and Skills Council for England

Student - You will not be counted if you are a student (or an overseas student) on a

full-time or qualifying course of education at a prescribed educational establishment

You are a student if you are:

  • Attending a university or college course (including theological courses) which lasts for at least an academic or calendar year, takes at least 24 weeks a year and involves at least 21 hours of study per week during term-time; or

  • Under the age of 20, and studying for more than three months and at least 12 hours per week for any qualifications up to A level, ONC or OND standard.

Correspondence courses, evening classes, or courses taken in connection with a person’s job, such as on day-release, are not included

Student nurses (see also below) studying academic courses at universities or who are on Project 2000 courses, are classed as students for council tax purposes.

Foreign language assistants registered with the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges are also treated as students.

You will not be counted if you are the spouse or dependent of a student, and not a British citizen, and prevented either from taking paid employment or from claiming benefits under the terms of your permission to be in the UK.

Those claiming this discount must provide a certificate from there educational establishment to confirm their attendance.

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Student Nurses - You will not be counted if you are a student nurse on a course leading to registration under the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1997

Only student nurses studying for their first inclusion on the Register are not counted.  Nurses who are already on the Register but are taking further courses are counted.

Student nurses studying academic courses at universities or who are on Project 2000 courses, are excluded from this definition as they are considered as students.

18 and 19 year olds on Further Education - You will not be counted if you are 18 or 19 years old and are in full-time education, (other than higher education),lasting at least 3 calendar months, which is not a correspondence course or undertaken as part of employment and study is normally carried out between 8.00am and 5.30pm. This includes people of that age who are at school or college and are on courses up to, and including, A level standard.

18 year olds still eligible for Child Benefit - Discounts may apply if a member of your household is over 18, but is still entitled to receive child benefit because they are still at school.

School and college leavers under the age of 20 - Discounts may apply until the 31st October of the same year if a member of your household in under 20 and has left school after 1st May and was undertaking a course of education no higher than A level

Resident Hospital Patients - Discounts may apply if a member of a household leaves the property to go into hospital permanently, or does not intend to return to the property, but enter a nursing home, for example.

People who are Severely Mentally Impaired - Discounts may apply if a member of a household suffers from a mental impairment which causes severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning (however caused) which appears to be permanent, this includes people who suffer from a degenerative brain disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease, a stroke or other forms of dementia, and one of the following allowances is payable:

  • Incapacity benefit either short or long term
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Severe Disablement Allowance
  • Disability Living Allowance Care Component at either of the two highest rates
  • Disablement Pension Increment due to constant attendance needs.
  • Disability element of working tax credit
  • Constant attendance allowance or unemployability allowance under the industrial injuries or war pensions scheme.

  • Income support including the disability premium because of incapacity for work

Those claiming this discount must obtain a certificate from a registered medical practitioner confirming their condition, these must be issued free of charge

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Care Workers - Discounts may apply if a member of a household is living in the property to care for someone else either on behalf of a charity, or after being introduced by a charitable body or is caring for someone in receipt of one of the benefits listed below:

  • Attendance Allowance at the highest rate.
  • Disability Living Allowance Care Component at the highest rate
  • An increase in constant attendance allowance under the industrial injuries or war pensions scheme
  • The highest rate of constant attendance allowance payable on top of full rate disablement benefit payable for an industrial injury

Carers employed on or behalf of certain charities or official bodies must be employed for at least 24 hours a week and be paid no more than £44 per week and be resident in premises provided by, or on behalf of the organisation.

Carers introduced by a charitable organisation must be providing care or support for at least 24 hours a week, be earning no more than £36 per week and be resident in premises provided by, or on behalf of the person being cared for.

Those caring for someone in receipt of one of the benefits above must also be resident in the same dwelling as the person being cared for, be providing care for at least 35 hours per week and must not be caring for their partner or their child who is under 18.

People in Prison and other forms of detention - Discounts may apply if a member of the household is not resident there due to being detained elsewhere, either by order of a court, under the deportation provisions of the Immigration Act 1971, the Mental Health Act 1983, the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984 or imprisoned or detained for more than 48 hours under the Army Act 1955, the Air Force Act 1955 or the Navy Discipline Act 1957

Those detained in police custody before there first court appearance or who is detained for non-payment of council tax or a fine is not treated as detained for discount purposes.

Members of International Headquarters and Defence Organisations - Discounts may apply if a person(s) in the household is a member or dependant of a foreign defence organisation, as listed in section 1 of the International and Defence Organisations Act 1964

Members of visiting forces - Discounts may apply if members of a household are members of visiting forces or their dependants and are neither British citizens nor ordinarily resident in the UK

Persons Detained Under the Mental Health Act - Discounts may apply if a member of the household is detained under the Mental Health Act

Patients in Care Homes or hostel- Discounts may apply if a member of the household is receiving care or treatment in a care or nursing home the care home must fall within the meaning of the Care standards Act 2000 or the national Assistance Act 1948.

Residents in hostels and night shelter for homeless people - Discounts may apply if a member of the household is living in a hostel for homeless people, most accommodation must be communal and most occupants must be occupying under licence not hold tenancies

A Hostel refers to a bail or probation hostel and hostels that provide mainly communal residential accommodation and personal care for people who need it because of old age, disablement, past or present alcohol or drug dependence or past or present mental disorder.

Members of Religious Communities - This category refers mainly to monks and nuns, it covers communities who’s principle occupation consists of prayer, contemplation, education and the relief of suffering and who’s members have no income or capital of there own and are dependant on the community to provide for there material needs.

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