Council Tax reduction for a Disabled Person
To apply for a Disability Council Tax reduction, please fill in our Disability Reduction online form
Before completing the form please read all the information below.
Requirements for a Disability Council Tax reduction
The requirements for a Council Tax reduction due to a disabled person are that the:
Property must be the main residence of at least one disabled person and it must have at least one of the following:
- An additional bathroom or kitchen required to meet the needs of the disabled person.
- A room (other than a bathroom, kitchen or toilet) required to meet the needs of the disabled person, and used predominantly by them.
- Extra space inside the property to allow for the use of a wheelchair. (Wheelchairs for outdoor use only are excluded.)
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.
Reductions available
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.
The Council is guided by government legislation and case law when making the decision.
When you send us the form we will contact you to arrange a visit to your property. We do this so that we can verify your application and make a fully informed decision whether you qualify for the reduction.
If your application is successful we will write to you to confirm that you are entitled to the reduction, and send you a revised bill or if you do not fulfil the criteria, disabled relief will be refused and you will be given a written explanation and details of your appeal rights.
Disabled band reductions are reviewed at least once a year, we will write to you and ask if there have been any changes, and if you do not reply we may have to stop the reduction.
Once in receipt of the reduction should there be a change in your circumstances that may affect your entitlement to the reduction. For example; if the disabled person moves away you must advise the Revenues Department within 21 days.
