Council Tax Discounts

This page contains Application forms which can be obtained by clicking on the links below and printing the form. A signature is required to verify the information that you have supplied and the forms cannot be completed on-line. Please complete the form and return to corporate services. You will need Adobe acrobat reader to download the linked documents on this page, you can download it here - Adobe acrobat reader.

Discounts

The full council tax assumes that there are two adults living in a property.

If only one person is resident, they are entitled to a 25% discount. Application Form

The following list of people will not be counted when looking at the number of adults resident in a property if they meet certain conditions. These people are known as "disregarded for discount purposes."

Apprentices Application form
Youth training trainees e.g. TCT, options, future, next step. Application form
Students Application form
Student nurses Application form
Resident hospital patientsApplication form
People living in residential care homes, nursing homes, mental nursing homes and hostels providing high level of care
People who are severely mentally impaired Application form
People staying in certain hostels or night shelters
Monks and nuns
18 and 19-year-olds in full time education Application form
Carers Application form
People in prison Application form
Members of visiting forces, international headquarters and defence organisations.

To find out if a discount may apply to your home, you should count the number of adults who live there as their main home, less those who can be disregarded in the above categories. If you are left with two or more people, there will be no discount.

A general leaflet about discounts can also be downloaded here

Benefits - for information on Council Tax (and Housing) Benefit, please click here

Exemptions

Some dwellings are exempt from Council Tax, unoccupied dwellings, meaning dwellings in which no one lives, which;

are owned by a registered charity (exempt for up to six months),
require or are undergoing structural alteration or major repair to render them habitable (exempt for up to 12 months),
are prohibited by law to be occupied,
are left empty by someone who has gone to prison,
are left empty by someone who has moved to provide personal care,
are left empty by someone who has moved to receive personal care in a hospital or a nursing home elsewhere,
are left empty by someone who has moved to receive personal care at an alternative address,
have been repossessed,
are left empty where a student is the liable person and was previously resident,
are awaiting probate or letters of administration to be granted (and up to six months after),
are annexes that may not be let separately.

In addition, occupied dwellings are exempt if:

all residents are full-time students,
all residents are under 18,
all residents are severely mentally impaired,
it is an annexe (or self contained part of a property) that is occupied by a dependent relative.

Unoccupied caravans or boats are exempt if they are:

on a pitch not occupied by a caravan or a mooring not occupied by a boat.

You can print out an empty property exemption application form.

Unoccupied Property

Properties that are unoccupied and unfurnished are exempt for the first 6 months after which there is no discount.

Properties that are unoccupied and furnished receive a 25% discount.

Second Homes receive a 25% discount.

If the second home is needed for a work-related purpose a 50% discount may apply. Application form

Disability Relief

Should there be a disabled resident in a property a reduction in Council Tax may be applicable. Relief can be granted if either - A wheelchair is used indoors or - There is a second bathroom in use which is needed by the disabled person or - There is a room used and needed due to the nature of the person's disability. Application form

The disabled person can be a child or adult provided that they are a permanent resident.

If you think your property may be entitled to a discount or the property should be exempt you can also contact the council tax section by telephone on 0151 356 6856/6857 or email us council.tax@epnbc.gov.uk

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Council Tax Discounts