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Council Tax discount
You can now request that your bill is sent to you via e-mail by completing the online form.

The Council Tax assumes that there are two adults living in a dwelling. The charge can be reduced by 25% if only one person occupies the property. Certain people can be disregarded for Council Tax purposes.

The disregard discount classes are shown below:

Apprentices
Carers
1
8-19 and school leavers
Residential care
Hospitals
Hostel
Student nurses
Prisoners
Religious
Severely mentally handicapped
Students
Members International HQ/Defence Organisations
Disabled relief
Discounts form

    Classification Brief description
1 Apprentices An apprentice is employed to learn a job and, as part of that learning, is undertaking training leading to a qualification recognised by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications. You must be paid a maximum of £160 per week and expect to earn substantially more when you qualify.

2A/2B Carer (A)
(in the home)
or
Carer (B)
(A) If you live with, and care for, a person with a disability who is receiving one of certain allowances or disablement pensions, you must be providing care for at least 35 hours a week on average. But you will not qualify if you are caring for your husband or wife (or partner with whom you live as husband and wife), or your child under 18 years old.
(B) Someone who cares for an elderly person or a person with a disability, in return for payment of up to £36 a week will not be counted. Such a person will usually belong to an organisation like Community Service Volunteers, but could be employed by a public body or (in certain circumstances) by the person for whom they care and will reside in the premises provided for the performance of their duties.

3 18, 19 year  oldsand school leavers   If you are 18 or 19 years old and are in full-time education (other than higher education). This includes people of that age who are at school or college and are on a course up to, and including A level standard. You will also not be counted if you are at least 18 years old and someone is entitled to child benefit in respect of you, or would be if you were not in local authority care. If you are an 18 or 19 year old who left school after 30 April you will not be counted until 1 November of the same year. (You may continue not to be counted as a student if you go on to further or higher education).

4 Residential care or nursing home You will not be counted if you live, and are receiving care, in one of these homes, as long as it is your only or main residence.

5 Hospitals You will not be counted if you are a patient in a hospital which is your only or main home. If you are in hospital for a short time and you have a home elsewhere, you will go on paying Council Tax at your home.

6 Hostel Some dwellings such as short stay hostels or night shelters provide communal accommodation for people who have no fixed abode and no settled way of life. These may include hostels run by the Salvation Army or Church Army. Anyone whose main or only accommodation is in this type of dwelling will not be counted.

7 Student nurses You will not be counted if you are a student nurse on a course leading to registration on any of Parts 1 to 6, 8,10 or 11 of the Nursing Register. Only student nurses studying for their first inclusion on the Register will not be counted. Nurses who are already on the Register but are taking further courses will be counted. Student nurses studying academic courses at universities or polytechnics, or who are on Project 2000 courses, are excluded from this definition as they are considered as students.

8 Prisoners Prisoners who are on remand or in prison will not be counted. However, people who are imprisoned for not paying a fine or the Council Tax will be counted.

9 Members of religious communities You will not be counted if you are a member of a religious community, provided that you depend on the community for your material needs and have no personal income or capital. (This will still apply if you receive income from a pension or pensions from a former job). Only members of religious communities whose main work is prayer, contemplation, the relief of suffering, education or any combination of these will not be counted.

10 Severly mentally handicapped People who are severely mentally impaired will not be counted. For Council Tax purposes, a person will be regarded as severely mentally impaired if he/she suffers, for whatever reason, from severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning which appears to be permanent. This will usually include people suffering from Alzheimer's disease and other similar illnesses. In order not be counted, a person will need a certificate from his/her doctor to say that he/she is severely mentally impaired. The person must also be entitled to one of a number of benefits including certain invalidity pensions, disability allowances, unemployment allowances or attendance allowances.

11 Students You will not be counted if you are a student (which includes an overseas student) on a full-time course of education or on a qualifying course of education. You are considered to be a student if you are:
  • attending a university, polytechnic or college course which lasts for at lease an academic year, takes at least 24 weeks a year and involves at least 21 hours of study per week during term time; or
  • under the age of 20 and studying for more than three months and at least 12 hours per week for any qualification up to A level, ONC or OND standard. Correspondence courses, evening classes or courses taken in connection with a person's job, such as on day release, are not included.
  • Student nurses studying academic courses at universities or polytechnics, or who are on Project 2000 courses, will be considered as students for Council Tax purposes. Foreign language assistants registered with the Central Bureau for Educational Visits and Exchanges will also be considered students.

12 Members of International Headquarters or Defence Organisations

Members of International Headquarters or Defence Organisations and their dependants may be disregarded.
13   Disabled relief You may be able to get your bill reduced by one band if your home has certain features which are essential, or of major importance, to the well being of a person with a disability, whether an adult or child, who is resident in the dwelling. These features are:
  • a room other than a bathroom, kitchen or toilet which is used mainly by the person with a disability. For example, you might get a reduction if you have an extension or extra room used for storing dialysis equipment or wheelchairs, or a bedroom on the ground floor in a dwelling with two or more floors;
  • an additional bathroom or kitchen for the use of the person with the disability;
  • extra space inside the dwelling to allow for the use of a wheelchair;
  • Band A properties will be reduced by 1/9th of Band D.

If you would like to apply for a discount please use the discount form provided or telephone
01784 446209 / 446490 / 446428 for more information.

Discounts Form - Pdf 284kb

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