Council Tax discounts, exemptions and reductions
Who has to pay
You will usually have to pay Council Tax if you are 18 or over and own or rent a home. A full Council Tax bill is based on at least 2 adults living in a home. Spouses and partners who live together are jointly responsible for paying the bill.
Single person discount
You will get 25% off your bill if you are the only person in your household aged 18 or over.
If you have recently moved to the property and need to tell us about this change please complete the change of address form. You can request single person discount at the same time.
Apply for, cancel or continue your single person discount
Clock Completing this form takes around 10 minutes
Paperclip To complete this form you will need your Council Tax account reference number
Once you have submitted your form it can take us up to 4 -6 weeks to process the application - this may be longer during busy periods. You will receive a new bill showing the discount once we have processed your application.
Please continue to pay the instalments on your current bill until then.
Apply for, cancel or continue your single person discountStudent discount
To be considered a student you must be undertaking a full-time course of education and studying for at least 24 weeks (21 hours per week).
This could include students who are:
- under 20 and on a qualifying course, or
- a foreign language assistant, or
- someone who is taking a course which leads to a registration under the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1979, or
- taking a full time Open University Course worth 120 points (two part time courses worth 60 points is not equal to a full-time course).
Apply for student discount
Clock Completing this form takes around 10 minutes
Paperclip To complete this form you will need your term time address, your landlords details, course details and your student or enrolment number.
Once you have submitted your form it can take us up to 4 -6 weeks to process the application - this may be longer during busy periods. You will receive a new bill showing the discount once we have processed your application
Please continue to pay the instalments on your current bill until then.
Apply for student discount
Other discounts and exemptions
Find out if you are eligible for other discounts
If a disabled person lives in your property you may qualify for a reduction.
We may be able to give you a discount if you or someone living with you fits into a certain group.
- full time students, student nurses, apprentices, and youth trainees
- you receive child benefit for this person, who is over 18 years of age
- 18- and 19-year-olds who are at or have just left school/college
- people who are severely mentally impaired
- people being looked after in care homes or permanently in hospital
- people caring for someone with a disability
- people serving a prison sentence
You may be exempt from paying Council Tax in certain circumstances. This could mean you have nothing to pay.
Here are some of the reasons you may get an exemption:
- property left unoccupied because someone has died
- property left unoccupied by someone who is permanently in hospital or a care home
- the property has been repossessed
- the property is only occupied by full-time students
Apply for any other discount or exemption
You cannot use this to check entitlement to Single Person Discount or Council Tax Reduction
Clock Completing this form takes around 10 minutes
Paperclip To complete this form you will need an email address.
Once you have submitted your form it can take us up to 4-6 weeks to process the application - this may be longer during busy periods.
You will receive a new bill showing the discount once we have processed your application.
Please continue to pay the instalments on your current bill until then.
Apply for other Council Tax discounts
Cancel your Council Tax discount or exemption
Cancellation of Council Tax discount
Clock Completing this form takes around 5 minutes
Paperclip To complete this form you will need your Council Tax account reference number
Once you have submitted your form it can take us up to 4 -6 weeks to process the application - this may be longer during busy periods. You will receive a new bill showing the amount due once we have processed your application.
Please continue to pay the instalments on your current bill until then.
Cancel your Council Tax discount or exemption
Housing Benefit and/or Council Tax Reduction
On this page you can check if you are eligible for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Reduction