COUNCILS across the UK increased council tax fees again in April, meaning we’re all paying more for our local services than ever.
In fact, figures suggest the tax has increased by a whopping 50% since 2010, with the average band D payment now coming in at £2,171 a year.
The highest possible council tax is for people who live in Band H properties in Rutland, where they will be charged a hefty £5,087 each year.
This year is the first time that this levy has cleared £5,000 for any household.
While most of us have more modest payments, the sharp rises may leave many families feeling the pinch, especially against the backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis.
If you’re struggling with your costs, it’s worth checking out whether you’re entitled to reduce your tax bill, which can save you thousands of pounds.
Some people can even get their bills slashed by 100% meaning they wouldn’t pay anything at all. Here are all the discounts available.
Single person discount
If you’re the only adult in your home, you can get a 25% discount on your council tax bill.
This includes if you’re a single parent with children under the age of 18 in the house.
Normally, you’ll need to let your local council know to get the reduction.
You can find your council’s contact details on GOV.UK. You might need to set up an account with to apply.
Even if there are other adults in your home, you might still get the 25% reduction, as some groups of people are “disregarded” for council tax purposes.
This includes:
- Children aged 18-19 where their parent is still eligible to get child benefit
- Children aged 18-19 who were still in full time education on April 30 (they’ll start to count from November 30 if they leave education)
- Full time students doing degree-level or post-graduate courses
- A person aged 19 or under on a pre-degree level course such as doing their A Levels or equivalent
- A student nurse
- A young person on a graduate training scheme
- An apprentice
- A Foreign Language Assistant on the official British Council programme
- A foreign citizen who is a student’s wife, husband, civil partner or dependent, and cannot work or claim benefits
- People who are temporarily away from home, such as long-term hospital patients, care home residents, people living in a hostel, prisoners, people awaiting deportation, or those living in a bail or probation hostel
- People with learning disabilities or severe mental impairment, who are also claiming certain benefits
- Carers
- Ukrainian citizens
As long as all the other adults in your household are disregarded, you’ll still get the 25% discount.
And if everyone in the household – including you – is disregarded, you get a 50% reduction in council tax.
Discounts for students
Households where everyone is a full-time student do not have to pay any council tax at all. Sometimes you’ll still get a bill, but if you do you can apply for an exemption on the gov.uk website.
To qualify as a full-time student, your course must:
- Last at least one year
- Involve at least 21 hours study per week
If you’re between 18 and 20 and doing A Levels or equivalent, your course needs to last at least three months and involve at least 12 hours of study a week.
If there is an adult who is not a student in your household, they will need to pay council tax, but should still qualify for a discount if everyone else is a student.
Discounts for people with disabilities
If you or someone you live with has a disability, you might be able to get a reduction on your council tax bill, or even get a complete exemption so you pay nothing.
The disabled band reduction scheme is designed for people who need to live in a larger property specifically due to a disability.
For instance, you might need an extra bathroom or kitchen for the disabled person or extra space in the halls to manoeuvre a wheelchair.
If you’re eligible, you’ll pay council tax at the next rung down. For instance, if you live in a band D home, you’ll pay at the band C level. If you’re in the lowest band, you get a 17% reduction on your bills.
The property must be the main home of at least one disabled person. This can be an adult or a child and it doesn’t need to be the person who pays the council tax.
Discounts for people with severe mental impairments
If someone in the household has a severe mental impairment, you should be able to apply for a discount on council tax.
To qualify, you’ll need a certificate proving that the person is severely mentally impaired, such as from a GP.
You might also have to show that you qualify for certain benefits, but you’ll need to check with your local council to see which ones they accept.
If you’re severely mentally impaired and live alone, you should get a 100% reduction on your bill.
You’ll also be completely exempt if everyone else in your household is either severely mentally impaired or are full-time students.
If the other adults in your household are disregarded, the bill will only reduce by 50%.
If you live with someone who qualifies as severely mentally impaired, you might get a 25% discount on your bill, as long as there are no other adults besides you who should be paying council tax.
If someone has died
If you’re selling a property because the owner has died, you don’t pay council tax until after probate is granted, as long as the house remains empty.
After probate, you might be able to get a six-month exemption, as long as the property remains empty and ownership hasn’t changed hands.
If you have a second home
Some councils will give you a discount on a second home, such as a holiday home. Whether you’ll be eligible, and how much the discount might be depends on your local council.
However, from April 1 next year, you might be charged up to double your normal council tax for a second home. Again, this will be decided at the local council level.
If you have an empty property
You might get a council tax discount on a property that’s standing empty, but this is decided at the local council level.
However, if it’s been empty for more than a year, it may go the other way and you could be charged a premium.
If the house is empty for 10 years or more, you could have to pay four times your normal rate.
You’re exempt from the premium if the empty property is in an annex, or if you’re in the armed forces and have to move accommodation for your job.
There are some cases where you don’t have to pay any council tax at all on an empty property. These include:
- The house of someone who is in prison (excluding if they were incarcerated for failure to pay a fine or council tax)
- The house of someone who has moved into a care home or hospital
- Houses that have been repossessed
- Derelict properties that cannot be lived in by law
- Properties that have been compulsory purchases and will be demolished
If you’re building a house or carrying out major repair work or refurbishment
You could get a council tax discount if your home is undergoing major repair work or structural changes, for example if your walls are being rebuilt.
If you’ve been doing major improvements on an empty property or building your own home, the council will tell you when you must start paying.
You will receive a completion notice that tells you the correct date.
If you’re on a low income
If you’re on a low income, you might be able to apply to your local council for Council Tax Reduction (sometimes called Council Tax Support).
To find out if you’re eligible, you’ll need to check with your local council, because the rules vary depending on where you live.
You’ll need to give information about your income and personal circumstances.
If you get benefits or have other people living with you, this might impact what level of reduction you get.
If you qualify, the council will work out your new council tax bill and tell you how much you need to pay and when.
If you receive Universal Credit, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA) income-related Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) or Income Support, you might be eligible for a discount.
If you’re not eligible for a council tax reduction, you might be able to apply for something known as the “second adult rebate”. Again, rules vary by council as to who is eligible and what they might get.
If you’re a pensioner
If you receive the Guarantee Credit element of Pension Credit, you could get a 100% discount on your council tax.
If not, you could still get help if you have a low income and less than £16,000 in savings.
Of course, if you live alone, you will get the 25% reduction, even if you’re not entitled to any benefits.
How to challenge your council tax band
If you think your home is in the wrong Council Tax band, then you’ll need to place a formal challenge.
Contact the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) in England and Wales or the Scottish Assessors Association (SAA) in Scotland to do this.
Gather together evidence showing you’re paying more – this could be having addresses of similar properties to yours in a lower band, for example.
If the VOA agrees that your property is in the wrong band, it will contact you to let you know your band will be changed.
It can take up to two months for the VOA to review your case.
But be warned – challenging your band might not work.
While you could get moved to a lower band and pay less, there’s also the chance the VOA could find you’re not paying enough.
This could mean you’re moved to a higher band – and your neighbours too.
If you disagree with the VOA’s ruling, you may be able to appeal your case – but only if you’ve told this will be possible when you get the decision.
You must appeal within three months of your decision – to do this, get in touch with the Valuation Tribunal Service.
If the Valuation Tribunal agrees with you, it will get the VOA to change your band – and your bill will change.
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