Single person discount and disregarded persons

If you are unable to use our online service to apply, please contact us.

Disregarded persons

In certain circumstances, people living in a property can be disregarded or 'not counted' when we work out council tax discounts.

If there are two people resident and one person is disregarded, they would be entitled to a discount of 25%, and if both are disregarded the discount would be 50% as long as all required qualifying criteria and verification have been met.

Depending on your circumstances, you can either apply for single persons discount using the green button on this page under 'Single person discount, or apply for one of the disregards below using the contact us form.

The following groups of people are disregarded for council tax purposes:

• Persons in detention - this applies where, due to the length of the sentence, a person is still regarded as having their sole or main residence in the dwelling
• The severely mentally impaired - the person concerned must be entitled to a qualifying benefit and have a certificate from a registered medical practitioner, confirming the impairment
  
• Persons to whom child benefit is payable - applies where no more than two adults are resident in the property, for example one parent and one child who has reached the age 18 or over and entitlement to child benefit continues in respect of that child
• Students - ie those undertaking a full-time or qualifying course of education, foreign language assistants and students in further education under 20 years of age. We'll require a student exemption certificate from the college or university
• Student nurses - they must be undertaking a course leading to inclusion on the register maintained under Section 10 of the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors Act 1979
• Apprentices - they must receive a gross salary or allowance of no more than £195 per week, and expect to earn substantially more when qualified. We'll require written confirmation from the employer
• Youth training trainees - they must be under 25 and undertaking an approved government training course under the relevant act
• Hospital patients - such a person must have their sole or main residence in a National Health Trust hospital, or a military/air-force unit or establishment
• Patients in nursing or care homes - such persons must have their sole or main residence in a residential care home, a (mental) nursing home or hostel and be receiving care and/or treatment there
• Carers - they must be providing care and/or support to another person (on behalf of or introduced by a relevant body) for at least 24 hours per week, and must receive no more than £44 per week in remuneration. Alternatively, they must be providing care for someone in receipt of certain benefits who is not a disqualified relative (spouse, partner or child under the age of 18 years)
• Residents of hostels - the person's sole or main residence must be in non-self contained hostel or night shelter accommodation under licences (not tenancies) for people with no fixed abode or settled way of life
• Other descriptions - this relates to:
  • A member, or their dependant, of an international headquarters or defence organisation
  • People entitled to diplomatic immunity or privileges
  • People and their dependants who have a relevant association with a visiting force
  • Those who have left school or further/higher education under 20 years of age. The discount applies between leaving after 1 May and the following 31 October
  • Members of religious communities, the principal occupation of which consists of any combination of prayer, contemplation, education or the relief of suffering. Such people must generally have no income or capital and be dependant on the community for material needs