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Council Tax Reduction

Council Tax Reduction

If you also pay rent you should claim Housing Benefit which automatically includes a claim for Council Tax Reduction.

There are 2 types of help we may be able to give you with your Council Tax bill

  • Council Tax Reduction and
  • Second Adult Rebate (for people of state pension age)

You may also be eligible for other discounts or exemptions. E.g. if you live on your own you can apply for a Single Person Discount of 25 percent.

Council Tax Reduction is available if you're on a low income and have £16,000 in savings if you're pensionable age, or £4000 in savings if you're working age.

If you're:

  • A joint tenant or live at the address with another joint owner you'll only be able to claim Council Tax Reduction for a proportion of the overall bill
  • A couple you must make a claim for Council Tax Reduction as a couple and your award will be based on your household circumstances

You will need to complete an application form and provide evidence of your identification, income, capital and savings.

Read our how to apply for Council Tax Reduction page for details of how to apply.

Back-dated Council Tax Reductions are only available to people who have reached the qualifying age for state pension credit. We will automatically consider a backdate request of up to 3 months. This will only go back as far as the date you reached pension credit age, the date you became liable for the rent or 3 months, whichever is the shorter.

Second Adult Rebate is only available to people of state pension age.

  • You may be able to get Second Adult Rebate even if you do not normally get Council Tax Reduction
  • If you already get Council Tax Reduction you will not need to claim Second Adult Rebate
  • Second Adult Rebate will be based on the circumstances of the other adults in your household
  • Your income and savings will not affect Second Adult Rebate

There are occasions when you could be entitled to Council Tax Reduction or Second Adult Rebate. We will pay you the one that gives you most.


The following rules apply

  • You must be the sole person liable for Council Tax at the address
  • You must share your home with one or more adults over 18 who are on a low income and are not your partner
  • If your partner is disregarded for Council Tax purposes you may be able to claim
  • You can’t claim if anyone pays you rent to live in your house such as a sub-tenant or a boarder


We will ask for details of all income, including benefits, of the other adults that live with you. The amount of Second Adult Rebate that you get depends on their total income. It is paid as a fixed percentage reduction in your Council Tax of 25 percent, 15 percent or 7.5 percent.

Apply for Second Adult Rebate

Payment is made to your Council Tax account. You will receive a revised Council Tax bill when you are awarded Council Tax Reduction. This will tell you if you still have money to pay towards your Council Tax bill.

We've implemented a council tax reduction scheme from 1 April 2019. This introduced a new income-banded scheme which replaces the current scheme. This only applies to all working age people.

Pensioners (those in receipt of state pension) will not be affected by any of this scheme.

Discount bands vary depending on both monthly income and your household.

Read the Income bands council tax reduction (PDF document)to see the income bands.

Read more about the conditions of the scheme below:

  • If your capital is greater than £4000 you will not be entitled to any Council Tax Reduction
  • The minimum award of council tax reduction is £3 per week.  
  • Council Tax Reduction will only be paid to the level of a Band D property. So if your property is in a higher Council Tax band you will only be able to get help up to the cost of a Band D property
  • We will continue to disregard Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payments, Armed Forces Independence Payments and War Disablement Payments as income
  • We will also continue to disregard Child Benefit and Child Maintenance payments
  • If you are working we will disregard £7.50 per week from any take home pay 
  • If you are a carer we will disregard up to £46.85 per week of any Carer’s Allowance you receive
  • We cannot backdate any Council Tax Reduction claims

If you have other adults living in your property that aren't your partner, you may receive a lower amount of council tax reduction you get due to non-dependent deductions being applied. 

You'll get a £5 reduction if you have adults living you who are:

  • Passported
  • Of state Pension age
  • Non-working
  • Universal credit 
  • Working and earn up to £139.99 per week

You'll get a £10 reduction if you have adults living you who are:

  • Working and earn more than £140 per week

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