Disabled Relief Scheme
You may be able to pay less Council Tax under the disabled band
reduction scheme if your home has had work carried out on it to
help you or someone else living there with a disability.
How does the disabled band reduction scheme work?
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.
However, 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:
- an additional bathroom or kitchen
- any other room (not being a toilet) which is mainly used by the
disabled person, or
- 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 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.
Please note: 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.
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.
If you think you may be eligible for a disability reduction,
please contact Council Tax Services.