Status discounts

For Council Tax purposes, some adults are not counted in working out the number of adults resident in a property.

Typically a discount will apply where there are two adults resident in a property, but one adult is one of the following: 

  • full time students (and certain non-UK spouses or dependents) 
  • 18 or 19 year olds who are at or have just left school
  • people who are severely mentally impaired
  • people caring for someone with a disability who is not a spouse, partner or child under 18 (more than one adult can be disregarded as carer if all required conditions are met)
  • student nurses, apprentices, youth training trainees and foreign language assistants 
  • people who are permanently cared for in nursing homes, care homes or hospitals. 
  • care workers working for low pay, usually for charities
  • members of visiting forces and certain international institutions
  • members of religious communities (monks and nuns)
  • people in prison (except those in prison for non-payment of Council Tax or a fine) 

To apply for a student discount, you will need to confirm who is in your property and provide a student certificate from the student’s ºÚÁÏÍøÕ¾ or university.

When a discount applies

This chart gives examples of where discounts do and don’t apply:

Example
Discount
Example:
Two adults reside in a property as their main home. Neither of them fall into any discount group
Discount:
No discount
Example:
One adult lives in a property as their main home
Discount:
25 per cent discount
Example:
Two adults reside in a property as their main home and one of them is a full-time student and is therefore disregarded
Discount:
25 per cent discount
Example:
Three adults reside in a property as their main home and one of them is a full time student and is disregarded
Discount:
No discount
Example:
A furnished property that is not occupied by anyone as their main home (called sole or main residence)
Discount:
No discount
Example:
Three adults reside in a property as their main home and one is severely mentally impaired and one other meets the requirements of the legislation as their carer - both the mentally impaired person and their carer are disregarded
Discount:
25 per cent discount
Example:
Three adults reside in a property as their main home and one is severely mentally impaired and both the others meet the requirements of the legislation as their carers - both the mentally impaired person and their carers are disregarded
Discount:
50 per cent discount