Council Tax Discounts & Exemptions (2026/27)

Millions of households pay more council tax than they need to because they never claim a discount they qualify for. Here is every main discount and exemption, who qualifies, and how to apply. Most are claimed through your local council — many can be done online in minutes.

1. Single-person discount — 25% off

If you are the only adult counted for council tax in your home, your bill drops by 25%. The key word is "counted": under-18s don't count, and neither do "disregarded" people — full-time students, student nurses, apprentices and youth trainees, 18–19 year-olds in full-time education, live-in carers, people with a severe mental impairment, hospital patients, and members of visiting forces or religious communities, among others.

So a parent living with a full-time university student still gets the 25% discount. If everyone in the property is disregarded, the discount rises to 50% — and a home occupied only by full-time students is fully exempt.

2. Disabled band reduction — pay one band lower

If someone in your household is disabled and the property has been adapted for their needs — an extra bathroom or kitchen, wheelchair space indoors, or a room used mainly by the disabled person — the home is billed as if it were one band lower. A Band D home pays Band C rates, for example. Even Band A homes get a reduction (one-sixth off the Band A bill). You'll need evidence, such as proof of a qualifying disability benefit.

3. Student exemption — full relief

Households where everyone is a full-time student pay no council tax at all. To count as full-time, a course generally must last at least one academic year with 21+ hours of study a week. Your university or college provides an exemption certificate — send it to the council.

4. Council Tax Reduction — help on low incomes

A means-tested scheme (separate in each nation) that can cut bills by up to 100% for people on low incomes or benefits. Working-age rules are set by each council — most ask you to pay at least a minimum percentage — while pension-age households follow national rules (savings generally must be under £16,000). You must apply; it's never automatic.

5. Empty homes, second homes and annexes

Empty and unfurnished homes can get a discount, but most councils now charge a premium instead — up to 300% of the standard bill for homes empty long-term, and up to 300% extra for second homes in Wales. Rules vary enormously by council, so check locally. Annexes occupied by relatives can get a 50% discount, and annexes lived in by a dependent relative aged 65+ (or with a disability) may be fully exempt.

How to apply — and don't wait

Contact your local council with your council tax reference, proof of who lives in the property, and any supporting evidence (student certificates, benefit letters, doctor's confirmation). Apply as soon as you qualify: discounts can sometimes be backdated, but not always, and councils warn that late claims can lose you money.