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Disabled band reduction scheme

The disabled band reduction scheme aims to ensure that disabled people do not pay more Council Tax because they live in a larger property than they would have needed if they were not disabled. Having a disability does not automatically entitle you to a reduction.

In summary, the requirements for a reduction are that the property must be the main residence of at least one disabled person and it must have at least one of:

The room or the wheelchair must also be essential or of major importance to the disabled person's well-being, due to the nature and extent of their disability.

'Disabled person' in this context means a person who is substantially and permanently disabled. The disabled person can be either an adult or a child and does not have to be responsible for paying the Council Tax bill.

An extra room does not need to have been specially built, but your home will not qualify for a reduction unless the 'essential or of major importance' test above is met. Simply rearranging rooms - for example, having a bedroom on the ground floor rather than the first floor - is unlikely to make your home eligible for a reduction.

What reduction you may get

If your home is eligible, your bill will be reduced to that of a property in the next Council Tax band down. For example, a Band D property will be charged a Band C rate. Even if your property is in Band A (the lowest band) you will still receive a reduction. It will be the same in cash terms as the reductions for homes in Band B, C or D.

Other Council Tax reductions for disabled people

People who are severely mentally impaired

For Council Tax purposes, a person is severely mentally impaired if they have a severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning which appears to be permanent. To be eligible for a Council Tax reduction, the person will need a doctor's certificate saying that they are severely mentally impaired and to be entitled to one of the following benefits:

If the person is over State Pension age but would have been entitled to one of the above benefits if they were under State Pension age, they may also be eligible for a reduction.

People who are severely mentally impaired are not counted when adding up the number of people in a property. So for example if a husband and wife were living together and one had a severe mental impairment, they would get the usual discount of 25% that a single adult living alone would get. No Council Tax is payable on a property occupied solely by people with a severe mental impairment.

People receiving care in their own home

In some circumstances, though not for example if you are receiving care from your spouse or partner, a resident carer is not counted when adding up the number of people in a property. So for example if just you and a carer live in your home then a 25% single person discount may apply.

People in a hospital or care home

No Council Tax is payable on properties left unoccupied by people who have moved to receive personal care, whether in a hospital, care home or elsewhere, if it is now their main residence. Generally speaking, the residents of care homes or those whose main home is a hospital do not have to pay Council Tax.

More details about these arrangements can be found in the leaflet 'Council tax - a guide to your bill', available from the Department for Communities and Local Government website.

• Council Tax - a guide to your bill (PDF document, 155K) Opens new window
• Help with PDF files

Applying for Council Tax reduction for disabled people

• Council Tax reduction for disabled people - how to apply