2. Discounts for people who aren't counted
The law says you need to tell us within 21 days of any change that may affect your entitlement to this discount. To falsely claim a discount is a criminal offence and we may prosecute.
A normal Council Tax charge is based on two or more adults (aged 18 and over) living in a household. If there's only one adult, apply for a single person discount.
For Council Tax purposes, certain people are not 'counted' towards the number of adults in a household (they are disregarded) and the bill is worked out as if they weren't living there. This means that the Council Tax bill could be reduced by a discount of 25 per cent or, in certain circumstances, by 50 per cent.
See the list below for who is disregarded and how to apply.
People who are severely mentally impaired To qualify for a reduction a person is deemed to be severely mentally impaired if s/he has severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning (however caused) which appears to be permanent. The person must also be entitled to any one of these benefits:
- Incapacity benefit
- Attendance Allowance or Constant Attendance Allowance
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- Care component of Disability Living Allowance or the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP) at the standard or enhanced rate
- Increase in the rate of disabled pension (where constant attendance is needed)
- Employment and Support Allowance (any element)
- Income Support where the applicable amount includes a disability premium
- Universal Credit (including an element for limited capability for work or limited capability for work and work-related activity)
If everyone in the household is severely mentally impaired, the property may be exempt from Council Tax. To claim please complete both the online exemption application and separate medical certificate. You need to get the doctor of the severely mentally impaired person(s) to sign it.
You must provide evidence of entitlement to any of these benefits together with a signed medical certificate.
Please tell us within 21 days of any changes, including if you are moved onto or refused Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
Carers - For you to be disregarded as a carer, the disabled person must be in receipt of one of the following benefits:
- any Attendance Allowance
- the highest or middle rate of the care component of a Disability Living Allowance or Personal Independence Payment
- an increase in the rate of disablement pension
- an increase in a Constant Attendance Allowance
- Universal Credit (including an element for limited capability for work or limited capability for work and work-related activity)
To qualify, you must: - live in the same property as the person you are caring for
- provide care for at least 35 hours a week
You will not qualify if the person you are caring for is your husband, wife, partner, civil partner or your child (aged under 18).
Your income and savings will not affect your eligibility. If there is more than one carer in the property they can both be disregarded for Council Tax purposes as long as they both meet the conditions above.
Please tell us within 21 days of any changes, including if you are moved onto or refused Personal Independence Payments (PIP).
Full-time students - Any property which is occupied only by students, such as a hall of residence, is exempt from Council Tax. Former homes of full-time students may also be exempt. Otherwise, full-time students are disregarded (not counted) for Council Tax purposes.
Students - You qualify as a full-time student, and/or are not counted for Council Tax if:
- you attend a university or college course lasting for at least one academic year - as long as you attend for at least 24 weeks out of the year and study for at least 21 hours a week during term-time, or
- you are under 20 and your course leads to a qualification up to (but not above) A Level standard or equivalent - as long as it lasts for more than three months and involves more than 12 hours of instruction, tuition and/or supervised study per week
- you are an 18 or 19 year old who left school after 30 April until 1 November of the same year
- you are an 18 year old for whom Child Benefit is still being paid
You are not a full-time student if you are:
- taking a course as a consequence of your job such as day release
- taking an evening class
Student nurses and midwives - A student nurse undertaking a course which leads to a first registration on the Register maintained under the Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitor Act 1978 is disregarded (not counted) for Council Tax purposes.
Foreign language assistants - You will be classed as a student, and so not counted for Council Tax purposes, if you are:
- registered with the Central Bureau for Educational Visits, and
- working as a foreign language assistant at a school or other educational institution in Great Britain.
To apply for a disregard, please email counciltax@eastdevon.gov.uk (including your Council Tax account number, name and address) or call 01395 517446 and we will send you an application form to complete and return to us.
Former homes of full-time students
If you are a full-time student who has left a property you own or rent (with a leasehold of more than six months), in order to study, the property may be exempt from Council Tax, if:
- it was your main residence immediately before you became a full-time student; and
- you vacated it less than six weeks before starting your course; and
- no-one has occupied it as his or her main home since you vacated it.
Your entitlement to an exemption will stop when you complete your course, even if you do not move back into your former home. You can apply for this exemption online.
Apprentices and trainees - An apprentice is a person who is:
- regardless of age, employed to learn a trade or profession and
- undertaking a programme of training leading to a qualification accredited by the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency and
- employed at a salary or in receipt of an allowance or both, which are in total no more than £195 per week
The employer is required to provide written confirmation of the applicant's entitlement.
A trainee is a person who is:
- under 25, and
- in a recognised form of full-time training funded by either the Skills Funding Agency or the Young People's Learning Agency
Hospital and care home residents - Anyone who has moved out of their former home, and whose main residence is now effectively a care home or hospital, is disregarded for Council Tax purposes.
People in detention - We will disregard (not count) someone if they are:
- detained in prison, hospital or some other place by order of a court
- detained pending deportation under the Immigration Act 1971
- detained in a place of safety under the Mental Health Act 1983
We will not disregard someone: - who is detained for non-payment of Council Tax or for default in paying a fine
- while they are being held in police custody until being remanded in custody by a court
A total exemption from Council Tax can be given if a property has been left unoccupied by a person who is in detention.
Homes for Ukraine A person who has come to England under the Home for Ukraine sponsorship scheme and continues to live with a host will be disregarded for Council Tax purposes. This will protect the host’s entitlement to the following discounts:
- 25% discount for one liable adult in the sponsor household or
- 50% discount where all people in the sponsor household are already disregarded.
Similarly, the host will not lose any exemption from Council Tax if they offer accommodation to a person who has a visa under the Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme.
However, if the host provides accommodation in a second home, the person living in the property will be liable to pay Council Tax.
There are discounts for these households but the amount of reduction depends on who is part of the household. Please provide the circumstances on our contact form.
To apply
The law says you need to tell us within 21 days of any change that may affect your entitlement to this discount. To falsely claim a discount is a criminal offence and we may prosecute.