Help with your Council Tax

Sometimes, you might not need to pay Council Tax at all. Your home may be exempt if:

• it is empty 
• you live on your own and have been medically certified as ‘severely mentally impaired’
• you and everyone you live with have been medically certified as ‘severely mentally impaired’
• there is a self-contained annexe in your home and a relative aged 65 or over lives there. This only applies if you live in England or Wales. Only the annexe is exempt from Council Tax. 

Contact your local council to find out whether your home is exempt. They will decide and the rules can be complicated. If you think your home might be exempt and you need advice, contact our Helpline.
 

Council Tax Reduction helps people with a low income to pay their Council Tax. If you live in England or Wales, each council has its own scheme (also called Council Tax Support). In Scotland, there is a national scheme that your local authority will deliver. Wherever you live, contact your local council to ask about the scheme in your area.

You can also ask who should be paying the Council Tax on your home if you’re not sure. You can apply for a reduction whether you rent or own your home.

If you get Guarantee Pension Credit, you may get your Council Tax paid in full. If you do not get Pension Credit, Council Tax Reduction is means tested. You can apply if you’re on a low income. You and your partner must have less than £16,000 in capital (savings and investments) unless you get Pension Credit. 

How much help you’ll get depends on:

• your household income
• your savings investments
• who you live with
• which benefits you receive
• whether you've reached State Pension age
• how much Council Tax you’re meant to pay
• how the scheme works in your area.

The amount you can get may be higher if you, or someone living with you, have a disability or caring responsibilities. 

If you’re over State Pension age, your Council Tax Reduction can be backdated by up to three months in England and Wales, and six months in Scotland.

Council Tax rates are based on at least two people living in a home. If you live alone, you can get a 25% discount on your Council Tax bill. You could still get this even if you live with other people because the council does not count every person for Council Tax purposes. For example, the following people will not count towards your Council Tax bill:

• full-time students
• some carers
• people with a severe mental impairment – for example, dementia, a brain injury, a health condition such as Parkinson's or a serious mental health condition.

If your council disregards everyone living in your home, including you, you can get a 50% discount on your bill.

If you live in England or Wales, visit Gov.uk to check if you qualify for a discount. In Scotland, visit mygov.scot.  

You can also contact our Helpline if you're unsure whether you qualify for a discount. 

You may pay less Council Tax if anyone living with you is ‘substantially and permanently disabled’.

Your home must also meet at least one of these conditions:

• there is an extra bathroom or kitchen in the property that is needed by the disabled person
• there is a room (other than a bathroom, kitchen or toilet) needed by and mainly used by the disabled person
• there is enough space in the property for the disabled person to use a wheelchair indoors.

If you qualify, the council will reduce your Council Tax to the band below yours (for example, from band E to band D), or by one sixth if your home is in the lowest band.

If you think this might apply to you, speak to your council or contact our Helpline.

If you live with someone on a low income who is not your partner, you may qualify for a discount on your bill. This is called a Second Adult Rebate. Your local council might call this ‘alternative maximum council tax reduction.’ This discount is not available everywhere and you cannot get Second Adult Rebate if you live in Wales.

You cannot get Second Adult Rebate at the same time as Council Tax Reduction. But after you apply, your council should automatically consider which one you’d be better off getting. They should award you the bigger discount of the two.

Depending on your income, your Council Tax bill could be reduced by 7.5%, 15% or 25%. Contact your local council to find out if they offer this.

You have the right of appeal against decisions about:

• who is liable to pay Council Tax
• where you are normally resident
• whether a home is exempt from Council Tax
• whether a discount or disability reduction applies.

For more information about how to challenge a Council Tax decision, read our factsheet What to do if you disagree with a benefits decision. You can also contact our Helpline for advice.