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Apply for or cancel a single person discount on Council Tax

You can get a 25% discount on your Council Tax bill if you live on your own. This is called a single person discount.

How to qualify

To qualify for the discount, you must be:

  • aged 18 years or older
  • the only adult living in your property

This discount only applies to the main property where you live. It will not apply to any additional properties you live in as the only resident.

If someone has moved out of your home

If you want to claim a discount because someone has moved out of your property, you will need to tell us and provide us with their new address, if you know it. This will help us check your claim.

You will not receive a discount if:

  • the person is only intending to move out of your property for a short period of time. This could be anywhere up to 6 months
  • the person has left but they plan to return to the property in the future. For example, if the person has gone to work abroad for a year, they would still be liable to pay Council Tax at their main property back in England

If you live with adults who are not counted (disregarded)

If you have other adults living with you, you could still receive a disregard discount for yourself if they are disregarded.

For the purposes of calculating the discount:

  • if all the adults in your property are disregarded, there will be a 50% discount on your Council Tax bill
  • if all but 1 of the adults in your property is disregarded, there will be a 25% discount on your Council Tax bill
  • if there are 2 or more adults living in your property who are not disregarded, there will be no discount on your Council Tax bill

The Homes for Ukraine scheme

If you are housing guests under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, you can get the single person discount if they are the only other people living with you.

You can find more information about Council Tax and Homes for Ukraine on GOV.UK.

How to apply

To apply, you need to complete our single person discount form.

You will also need to have your Council Tax account number with you before you start. This is the reference number found in the top right corner of your Council Tax bill.

We will contact you once your application has been processed. This may take at least 2 weeks.

Applying for a single person discount from a past date

You can apply for your single person discount from a past date. This is also known as backdating.

In some cases, we may need some extra proof to check that you are entitled to the discount from the date which it would apply. This could be asking you to confirm information such as your name and address.

If you are applying for a discount more than 12 months before the date of your application, you should explain why you did not apply sooner.

How to cancel your discount

Once you are awarded your discount, it will stay on your Council Tax account until your circumstances change.

If your circumstances do change, meaning you are no longer entitled to a single person discount, you must cancel it as soon as possible. For example, if the number of adults living in your property is now greater than 1, due to your child turning 18 years old.

Cancel your single person discount.


Page last updated: 22 January 2024

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