Council Tax disabled relief scheme

This scheme reduces the Council Tax payable by disabled people who live in a larger property than they would have needed if they were not disabled. Having a disability, however, does not automatically entitle you to a reduction.

Requirements

The requirements for a reduction are:

• the property must be the main residence of at least one disabled person

It must also have at least one of the following:

• an additional bathroom or kitchen

• any other room (not being a toilet) which is mainly used by the disabled person

• enough space for the use of a wheelchair (if the wheelchair is for outdoor use only, this will not count)

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

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.
  

Apply for the disabled relief scheme

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.