Council tax rebates
Find out if you could be eligible for a tax reduction…
We have listed several schemes here, but remember each Council will each have their own scheme.
The Council Tax Discount Scheme
This means you may get a 25% reduction if all the other residents in your home are ‘disregarded’ for council tax purposes. You may be entitled to a 50% reduction in your council tax bill if you and all the other residents are disregarded. Who is disregarded? People who are considered to be ‘severely mentally impaired’, Students, Hospital Patients, Carers and more.
Second Adult Rebate
This means a discount is also available if the gross income of the other resident is low enough. If the other per- son is on income-based jobseeker’s allowance, income-related employment and support allowance or income support, the discount is 25%. If their income is under £193 a week, the discount is 15% and if their income is between £193 and £249, the discount is 71⁄2%.
The Disability Reduction Scheme
This allows a reduction if someone in your home is ‘substantially and permanently disabled’ and one of the follow- ing applies. You (or they):
- have a room (other than a bathroom, kitchen or toilet) which is used to meet your needs e.g. for the purposes of dialysis, treatment or for the storage of equipment;
- have a second bathroom or kitchen used to meet your needs; or
- have enough space in your home to use a wheelchair indoors
If any of these apply, the bill for your dwelling is reduced to the next lowest band. If you are already in a Band A property, you will have your bill reduced by one sixth.
Carers
To qualify for a ‘Carers’ reduction, a person has to be providing care for at least 35 hours a week to someone who is not their partner or their child under 18 and who lives in the same house as them.
The person who they are caring for has to be entitled to at least one of the following benefits; Attendance Allowance, the higher or middle rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance, stand- ard or enhanced rate of the daily living component of the Personal Independence Payment, an increase in the rate of his/her disablement pension or any rate of Attendance Allowance.
Severely Mentally Impaired
There is also a reduction available for people who have mental health problems if a registered medical practitioner confirms that they have a severe and permanent mental impairment and they meet the criteria for one of a range of benefits including; Attendance Allowance, the standard or enhanced rate of the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment, Employment Support Allowance and a number of other allowances granted because of disability. Those who have reached pension age also qualify if they would otherwise have been entitled to one of these benefits.
Backdates
If the council receive evidence/proof/certificates they can back-date to the date when the condition started – which may be many years ago.
Information about the complete range of council tax reductions and discounts, including council tax support, is available on your local council’s website. Applications can also be made online.