Disability Reduction

Disabled people who require additional space may be eligible for a council tax reduction.      

 If your home is eligible, your bill will be lowered to the valuation band below. If your home is in the lowest band (Band A) we will reduce your bill by one sixth. You can find out more about valuation bands on our Council Tax banding page.   

This will not affect the value of your home, or its banding on the valuation list.  

Who can apply?  

The disabled person does not have to be the person who pays the council tax, it can be any member of the household, including a child.   

To receiving this relief, a disabled person is ‘substantially and permanently disabled’ by illness, injury or congenital deformity or other reason.  Some conditions are progressive, and, in such cases, a judgement will need to be made when a disability becomes substantial.  

Discount conditions    

A room predominantly used by a disabled person other than a bathroom, kitchen, or toilet

The fact that a disabled person uses a room will not on its own lead to a reduction. Everyone needs somewhere to sleep, eat, live, etc but sometimes there must be a room specially to meet the needs of a disabled person. The room can either be an existing room or an additional room/extension, but there must be a causal link between the person’s disability and the use of the room. 

The room must be of major importance to the disabled person’s wellbeing due to the extent of their disability.  If the room or feature was not available, would it be physically impossible or extremely difficult to live in the property and would their health suffer, or the disability become more severe.   

Another bathroom or kitchen for the use of the disabled person.    

The fact that a property has a second bathroom or kitchen will not lead to a reduction unless it is essential to meeting the needs of the disabled persons. A second lavatory is not treated as a bathroom.  

Need to use a wheelchair indoors. 

A person who normally uses a wheelchair but cannot do so indoors will not qualify. Neither is storage of a wheelchair indoors sufficient to qualify.   

Apply for a council tax disability reduction

If you require a paper form, please call 01495 762200.