Help with Council Tax

There are 3 ways to reduce your Council Tax bill that look at your personal situation, and not how much income or savings you have:

• Status Discount
• The Disability Reduction Scheme
• Unoccupied and exempt accommodation 

Remember, some people may qualify for several forms of situation-based discount at the same time, so it's possible to combine different ways of reducing your Council Tax bill. This can include a combination with means-tested benefits (see 'Help when you can't afford Council Tax' below).

Your council should explain how to do this on its website.

Status Discount

The most common type of Status Discount is the 1-person discount of 25%, available when only 1 adult lives in the property.

Sometimes, other people living there might not be counted either and a 25% or 50% discount might be awarded.

Status Discount isn't means-tested (in other words, it's not affected by your income or savings).

Adults aren't counted for Council Tax if they:

• have a 'severe mental impairment' (some people with
  Parkinson's may fit this description - see below for more information)
• are a carer for at least 35 hours a week for someone
  who lives with them, who is not their spouse, partner or child, and who receives a qualifying benefit (see below for a list)
• are living in a shelter, hospital or care home
• are in prison or detention
• are a full-time student
• are aged 18 or 19 and in full-time education
• are under 25 and in approved training (such as
  student nurses, youth trainees and some apprentices).

Status Discount for severe mental impairment

Many conditions can lead to an impairment of cognitive or social functioning that can be described as a 'severe mental impairment'. Some people with Parkinson's may fit this description. Ask your GP if you think this could be the case.

You're eligible for a Status Discount if you have a certificate from a medical professional (such as your GP or consultant) which confirms that you have a permanent 'severe mental impairment'. In addition, you must also receive 1 of the following benefits:

• Attendance Allowance or Pension Age Disability Payment (Scotland)
• either rate of the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment or Adult Disability Payment (Scotland)
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Universal Credit with either of the limited capability elements
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit
• Income Support with a disability premium
• the high or middle rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance
• You're over State Pension age and you would get 1 of the above benefits, but because of your age you don't qualify.

This isn't a complete list. Please check with your council for an entire list of exempt people.

If you live alone and you're 'severely mentally impaired', you don't have to pay any Council Tax – see the section on 'Unoccupied and exempt accommodation' below.

It's possible for more than 1 person in a property not to be counted.

For example, if a sister provides 35 hours or more care per week for her brother who has a severe mental impairment and he qualifies for the enhanced rate of Personal Independence Payment, both the sister and brother will be ignored. And if they're the only 2 people in the house, they'll get a 50% discount on their Council Tax bill.

Status Discount for carers

You'll receive a discount if you care for someone for 35 hours a week or more, the person you care for lives at your address, but isn't your spouse, partner, child or parent, and the person you care for receives 1 of the following benefits:

• Attendance Allowance (high rate) or Pension Age Disability Payment (Scotland)
• high rate of the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment or the enhanced rate of Adult Disability Payment (Scotland)
• the high rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance or the Scottish Child Disability Payment
• the highest rate of Constant Attendance Allowance
• Armed Forces Independence Payment

The Disability Reduction Scheme

If you qualify, this scheme reduces your Council Tax bill by 1 banding, for example from Band C to Band B, if your home has been adapted or changed in some way for someone with a substantial and permanent disability.

The scheme, which runs in England, Scotland and Wales, isn't means-tested, so it doesn't take into account your income or savings. You don't have to receive any benefits to qualify either.

To qualify, your home should have at least 1 of the following:

• an additional bathroom or kitchen (which has been added for a disabled person to use)
• a room (other than a toilet, bathroom or kitchen) which is used mainly by a disabled person for treatment or therapy
• enough space in the property for a wheelchair to be used indoors (the property may have been adapted to allow wheelchair use).

Each council has its own application form for the Disability Reduction Scheme. Councils always assess eligibility through a home visit, so they can see the changes that have been made.

The reduction can be backdated to the date you made the alteration(s) to your home.

Disabled Person's Allowance (Northern Ireland)

Disabled Person's Allowance is Northern Ireland's equivalent of the Disability Reduction Scheme.

It gives you a 25% discount in rates for any household where the property has been adapted or has had additional facilities added to suit a disabled person's needs.

Unoccupied and exempt accommodation

Some properties and some people in certain circumstances are completely exempt from Council Tax liability (meaning you don't have to pay).

You don't have to pay any council tax if you or your property meet 1 of the following criteria:

• All the resident(s) of the property is/are severely
  mentally impaired (see above).
• You're in hospital or a care home.
• You're living away from the property elsewhere to
  care for someone and the property is unoccupied.
• The only person living in the property has died and
  probate has yet to be granted (after probate has
  been granted, the property is exempt for a further
  6 months too).
• The property has been repossessed.
• Occupation of the property is forbidden by law
  (for example, because of planning restrictions or
  it's derelict).
• The person living in the property who is liable to pay
  Council Tax has been declared bankrupt and the
  property is part of the bankruptcy.
• Everyone living in the property is under the age of 18.
• Everyone in the property is a full-time student.
• You're in prison.
• You're a student studying elsewhere and the property
  is unoccupied.

This isn't a complete list. Check with your council for the entire list of exempt properties and people.

If everyone living in the property is severely mentally impaired, they must also each receive 1 of the qualifying benefits listed under 'Status Discount for severe mental impairment' above.

A qualified medical practitioner (usually your doctor) must also confirm to the council that in their medical opinion, all resident(s) of the property have an impairment of their cognitive and social functioning that appears to be permanent, and they are, as a result, 'severely mentally impaired'.

If you're not happy with a decision about Council Tax, you should start by appealing to your local council. There's no time limit for lodging an appeal, but you should put your appeal in writing.

You can appeal against decisions on:

• Council Tax exemptions
• Council Tax liability to pay
• where you're resident
• whether a Status Discount applies
• whether a Disability Reduction applies
• Council Tax Support awards
• Discretionary Payment award decisions
• Council Tax banding

If you can't resolve the issue with your local council, you can appeal to:

• The Valuation Tribunal for England within 2 months of receiving the decision, or within 4 months of your original appeal if your local council hasn't responded. Find out more on the Valuation Tribunal for England's website.
• The Valuation Tribunal for Wales within 2 months of receiving the decision, or within 4 months of your original appeal if your local council hasn't responded. Find out more on the Valuation Tribunal for Wales's website.
• The Local Taxation Chamber in Scotland within 42 days of your original appeal. Find out more on the Local Taxation Chamber's website.