Disregarded Persons Discount

Where someone is detained on remand or under custodial powers, they can be discounted for council tax purposes. The property where the discount would be applied must have been the sole and main residence of the detained person.

People in detention are those held in prison, hospital or elsewhere by order of a court. This includes those detained under:

• The Immigration Act 1971
• The Mental Health Act 1983
• The Army Act 1955, the Air Force Act 1955 or the Naval Discipline Act 1957 (except under open arrest or in custody for less than 48 hours).

This does not apply to those serving sentences for non-payment of council tax or fines.

Application form

An occupant can be disregarded for council tax purposes if they are classed as having a severe mental impairment, for example dementia.

The person must be certified by a doctor as being severely mentally impaired and must be in receipt of one of the qualifying benefits listed below. As part of the application, a declaration will need to be completed by that the person's doctor (this can be their specialist or general practitioner).

The discount will remain in place as long as the conditions are met.

Qualifying Benefits

• Incapacity Benefit
• Employment Support Allowance
• Income Support which includes a Disability Premium
• Disability Living Allowance (DLA) with the Middle or Higher rate of the care component
• Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Attendance Allowance
• Disablement Pension
• Unemployability Allowance/Supplement
• Constant Attendance (Personal Injuries (Civilians Scheme 1983 or Naval, Military and Air Forces (Disablement and Death) Service Pensions Order 1983)
• Universal Credit (Limited Capability for Work/ Work related Activity) Element

Application form

Are you the parent or guardian of am 18 or 19 year old and are in receipt of child benefit for them? You may qualify for a 25% discount on your council tax charge.

• Are you the only other occupant aged 18 or over (not counting the 18/19 year old)? You may qualify for the discount.
• Are you the only other occupant aged 18 or over living with a 18 or 19 year old where child benefit is awarded, as well as other occupants who are 18 or over who are all full time students? You may qualify for a discount.

Please be aware that this discount will only last for as long as child benefit remains in payment, and it is up to the account holder to inform us of any changes. Alternatively, if the 18 or 19 year old is also a full time student or an apprentice you can apply for the student or apprentice disregard which also gives a 25% discount.

Application Form

A student is someone undertaking a full time course at a prescribed educational establishment.

• A full time course is one which:
  • lasts for one academic or calendar year
  • requires attendance for at least 24 weeks each year and for at least 21 hours per week (this includes attendance, tuition, study or work experience)
  • work experience must not exceed 50% of the total course time, with the exception of student teachers.

To qualify for this discount you must provide a student certificate for council tax purposes which can be obtained from the college or university.

Application form

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

Application Form

The apprentice must:

• be employed for the purpose of learning a trade, vocation or profession
• the training being given must be under a programme leading to an NVQ
• the salary being paid must not exceed £195 per week.

The employer will be required to confirm details regarding the apprenticeship.

People who live permanently in a nursing home, care home, residential care home, mental care home, high care hostel or hospital as their main or only home can be disregarded for council tax purposes.

• As this discount is regarding a change in a disregarded persons main residence they should be the owner/joint owner or long term tenancy holder/joint tenancy holder of the property they have vacated.
• The discount can only apply where the property they are leaving was previously classed as their sole or main residence.
• If someone is away temporarily in one of the above establishments then they would not qualify for this discount.
• The discount can remain for as long as the conditions are met.

Application Form

A care worker is a person who:

• gives care to another person on behalf of a charity or local authority and
• must work for at least 24 hours per week and be paid no more than £44 per week for this work
• lives in premises provided by the employer for the better performance of his/her job.

Application Form

A carer is a person who provides care to a person with a disability who is not a spouse, partner or child under 18, who is entitled to one of the following benefits:

• the lower rate or higher of Attendance Allowance (from 8 April 2013)
• the standard or enhanced rate of Daily Living Component of the Personal Independence Payment as defined by the Personal Independence Payment (Supplementary Provisions and Consequential Amendments) Regulations 2013
• an increase in the rate of disablement pension under S104 of the above act.
• an increase in constant attendance allowance under the above act.
• an armed forces independence payment

Application Form

Any person who is a resident of a hostel which is used for:

• providing residential accommodation as a hostel or night shelter: and
  • Where the accommodation is not in a separate and self-contained premises
  • The accommodation is provided for persons who have no fixed abode or no settled way of life and provided under a license to occupy which is not a tenancy

• The amount of council tax payable may be reduced if the residents belong to a religious community.
• The member must have no income or capital of their own and be dependent on the community for their needs.

Visiting armed forces accommodation as long as at least one resident who would be liable for Council Tax is a member (or dependent) of a visiting force and is neither a British citizen or ordinary resident in the UK.

A property where at least one liable person has diplomatic privileges or immunity as long as they are not a permanent UK resident, British citizen, British subject or British protected person and the UK is not their main residence or another dwelling in the UK is not their main residence.

Application Form

Foreign Student with an overseas partner or dependent

If you are a foreign full-time student with a partner or dependent who is not a British Citizen and is not allowed to work or claim benefits you will not have to pay Council Tax while you are studying.