Council Tax is based upon the number of people living in a property. If you're "disregarded" it means that we don't count you when we work out the number of people living there.
If you live with someone who isn't counted, it may mean that you can get a discount on your bill.
As well as the statutory discounts, we also have discretionary powers to reduce Council Tax. For more information on this, you can read our discretionary reduction in liability policy (pdf)
Who isn't counted
You may not be counted as an adult for Council Tax if you are:
- aged under 18
- aged 18 and someone is entitled to Child Benefit for you
- a school or college leaver aged under 20 and you have left school or college after 30 April - you will be disregarded until 1 November of the same year whether or not you take up employment
- a prisoner, in detention awaiting deportation or detained under mental health legislation
- severely mentally impaired
- a full-time student in higher or further education studying for more than 21 hours a week and more than 24 weeks a year - the course must last for at least one academic or calendar year at a prescribed educational establishment
- a student nurse - we disregard Project 2000 nurses and students of any course that leads to their first registration under the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1979
- a spouse, civil partner or a dependant of a student who is a non-British citizen and you are prevented by immigration from taking paid employment or from claiming benefit in the UK
- a foreign language assistant on the official British Council programme
- a long-term hospital patient or care home resident
- living in a hostel which provides care or treatment because of your old age, physical or mental disability, past or present alcohol or drug dependence or past or present mental illness
- living in a bail or probation hostel
- staying in a hostel or night shelter because you are homeless
- a member of a religious community
- a member of visiting armed forces - your dependants are also disregarded.
- a careworker or carer providing support or care to another person at the same address and meet one of the 3 criteria below:
- Providing care on behalf of an official charitable body, employed for at least 24 hours per week and earning no more than £44.00 per week.
- Introduced by a charitable body, employed for at least 24 hours per week, earning no more than £44.00 per week and living in the property to enable the best care to be provided.
- Caring for someone who is in receipt of certain benefits (Attendance Allowance, middle or high rate Disability Living Allowance, any rate of the Daily Living Component of PIP and an increased rate of Disablement Pension) providing care for at least 35 hours per week and is not the partner of the person being cared for, or if the person needing care is a child under 18, not the child's parent.
Apply for a discount
You can apply for a discount online.
After you've applied
After you've applied, you must still pay the amount on your Council Tax bill until you hear from us.
We may need to visit your property to confirm that the discount or exemption should apply.
We will review your discount or exemption from time to time and ask you to confirm whether it still applies.
If we don't give you the discount and you think we should have you can appeal by contacting us.
Report a change
You need to let us know if your circumstances change within 21 days, otherwise you may have to pay a fine.
You’ll need your:
- Council Tax account number
- name, address and contact details