Discounts
Council tax is based on the assumption that there are at least two adults in the property. This is, of course, not always true.
We will reduce your bill by 25 per cent if:
- there is only one adult living in the property as their main home
- there is one employed person and one full-time student living together, we will only count the employed person
We will reduce your bill by 10 per cent if:
- the property is empty but furnished
We will reduce your bill by 50 per cent if:
- all the people in the house are not counted. For example, an apprentice living on their own
Applying for a discount
Discounts are not given automatically. If you think you qualify for a discount, please contact us. We may ask you for proof, and we may need to inspect your home.
Applying for a discount does not mean you can stop paying council tax. If we give you a discount, you will be entitled to a refund of any overpaid council tax.
If we don’t give you a discount and you think we should have you can appeal.
If you are receiving a discount which is no longer applicable, please tell us straight away.
A full council tax bill assumes there are two or more adults (aged over 18) living in a property as their main home. There is a discount if your circumstances are different.
Sometimes we can still give a discount even if there are two or more adults because we do not count the following people:
- Carers
- Care workers
- Students
- 18 year olds receiving child benefit
- Apprentices
- Severely mentally impaired
Carers
To qualify as a carer, you must provide care or support for at least 35 hours a week to another person who lives with you. This person must not be your partner, spouse or child aged under 18. The person being cared for must also be entitled to one of the following benefits:
- A higher rate of attendance allowance
- The highest rate of the care component of a disability living allowance
- An increase in the highest rate of disablement pension
Care workers
To qualify as a care worker, you must be employed to provide care or support for someone for at least 24 hours a week and be paid no more than £44 a week to do so.
You must be employed by one of the following organisations or employed by the person you care for but have been introduce to him or her by one of the following organisations:
- Plymouth City Council
- The Government
- A charitable organisation
You must live in premises provided by your employer to help you perform your work.
Students
You are a student if you are:
- on a university or college course which lasts for at least one academic year, takes at least 24 weeks a year and involves at least 21 hours of study a week during term time
- under 20 years of age, studying for more than 3 months and at least 12 hours a week for a qualification up to A Level (if you leave after 1 May, we will not count you until the 1 November)
- a student nurse on a university course
- a foreign language assistant registered with the British Council
- a non-British spouse or dependant of a student and you are prevented by the terms of UK entry from taking paid employment or from claiming benefits
Correspondence courses, evening courses or classes do not count.
18 year olds still at school
If you are still receiving Child Benefit for your son or daughter when they become 18 years old, we will not count them.
Apprentices
You are employed to learn a trade and your training must lead to a qualification recognised by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. You must earn no more than £195 a week.
People who are severely mentally impaired
A doctor must confirm this and the person must be receiving one of the following benefits:
- Incapacity benefit
- Attendance allowance
- Severe disablement allowance
- The care component of a disability living allowance at the higher or middle rate
- Disabled person's tax credit
- An un-employability supplement
- Attendance allowance at one of the four rates payable with disablement benefit or war disablement pension
- An unemployability supplement payable with war disablement pension
- Income support that includes a disability premium
If you are receiving a discount which is no longer applicable, please tell us straight away.