Council Tax - exemptions and discounts (occupied properties)

Providing care in the home

If you or anyone else in the household is providing care to someone living with you, you may be able to reduce your Council Tax bill by up to 25% or 50% depending on how many other adults live in the property. The person providing the care must also be living in the property.

Care is being provided by someone who is not employed to do this (for example, a family member)

• This must be for a minimum of 35 hours per week. This reduction is not available if you are providing care to your spouse or your child (under 18)

• The person being cared for must be in receipt of one of the following benefits:
  • Attendance Allowance at the higher rate
  • Disability Living Allowance (care component at the higher rate)
  • Child Disability Payment (care component at the high rate)
  • Adult Disability Payment (daily living component at the enhanced rate)
  • Personal Independence Payment (daily living component at the enhanced rate)
  • Armed Forces Independence Payment.
  • An increase in a constant Attendance Allowance under the Industrial Injuries or War Pensions Scheme
  • Constant Attendance Allowance at the highest rate, payable on top of full rate Disablement Benefit paid in respect of an industrial injury

You must provide a copy of the benefit award letter (for the person being cared for) with your application.

Care is being provided by someone who is employed to do this (for example, through a local authority, employer or charity)

This must be for a minimum of 24 hours per week, the carer must live in the property as part of their employment and should not be paid more than £44 per week.

You will be required to provide evidence of the care being provided with your online application. This should be from the carer's employer and should confirm the following:

• Name of carer
• Address where carer is resident as part of their employment
• Average number of hours of care provided per week
• Gross weekly wage
• Confirmation that the residence is provided for the better performance of their work

You can upload a letter from the carer's employer with the above details.  The letter should be signed and note the position and contact details of the person providing the information.

If the carer's employer can't provide a letter, you can ask them to complete our discount for a care worker certificate. This should be issued to the employer to complete and returned to you. You can then upload as evidence when making your application.

We are unable to process the application without this evidence. 

Providing or receiving care elsewhere

You may be able to reduce your Council Tax by 25% or 50% (depending on how many other adults live in the property) if someone from your household has left the property in order to receive care in a NHS, private or armed forces hospital, a nursing home or a residential care home for a minimum of 6 weeks. 

You will be required to provide evidence of this as part of your online application. We can accept a letter or certificate from the persons GP or health professional confirming this. This should be signed noting the position and contact details of the person providing the information. If the GP or health professional can't provide a letter, you can ask them to complete our long term care certificate. This should be issued to the GP or health professional to complete and returned to you. This can then be uploaded when submitting your online application.

Care leavers

If you or someone in your household is aged between 18 and 26 and were being looked after by a local authority on your/their 16th birthday or at any time after that, but are no longer being looked after by a local authority, you may be able to reduce your council Tax bill by 25%, 50% or 100% depending on how many other adults live in the property.

To apply for this discount, please use our online form