Council tax discounts and exemptions

Single person discount

A full council tax bill assumes at least two adults live in a house. If only one adult lives in a house (as their main home), they can claim a quarter off their council tax bill (25%). 

When working out how many adults live in a home, the following people do not count as adults:

  • Full time students
  • Student nurses
  • Apprentices and youth training trainees
  • Hospital in-patients
  • People who are being looked after in care homes
  • People who are severely mentally impaired
  • People staying in certain hostels or night shelters
  • People for whom child benefit is payable
  • Care workers working for low pay, usually for charities
  • People caring for someone with a disability who is not their husband, wife, partner, or a child under 18
  • Members and non-British dependants of visiting forces and certain international HQs
  • Members of religious communities (monks and nuns)
  • People in prison (except those in prison for non-payment of council tax or a fine)
  • Special arrangements may also apply to certain non-British spouses of students

If you have a young person (over 18 year old) living with you who is in education, you can still benefit from a 25% council tax discount until their education is completed. Please let us know and we'll update your account to reflect that you are no longer a single adult living in your property, but that you qualify for a 25% disregard. We may require evidence of the young person's educational status in order to award the 25% discount.

Visit our council tax portal to:

Apply for a single person discount

Tell us if your circumstances change

If you receive a single person discount, you must tell us within 21 days of your circumstances changing, or you may be fined. Visit our council tax portal to:

Cancel a single person discount