Under the Council Tax Regulations, a dwelling in which a disabled person lives may qualify for a reduction in the amount of Council Tax actually payable. The person liable to pay the Council Tax is eligible for such a reduction if the dwelling concerned meets certain conditions. They are:
- a disabled person must be resident in the dwelling
and then one of the following must apply to the dwelling:
- the dwelling contains a room other than a bathroom, kitchen or lavatory which is predominantly used by and is required for meeting the needs of the disabled person. Usually, this means that the room must have been adapted for a purpose other than for what was originally intended. An example would be where a bedroom has been altered to accommodate dialysis equipment for use by the disabled person.
- the dwelling contains an additional kitchen or bathroom which is required for meeting the needs of the disabled person, though a second toilet only will not qualify the property for this reduction.
- there is sufficient floor space in the dwelling to permit the use of a wheelchair required for meeting the needs of the disabled person. A wheelchair is not required for “meeting an individual's needs” if he or she does not use it within the dwelling.
If the conditions described above are satisfied, then relief is granted by reducing the valuation band. The band will be reduced to one immediately below that allocated to the dwelling, as shown in the Banding List.
Properties in Band A may also qualify for a reduction, if the conditions are satisfied. The Council Tax will be reduced from 6/9ths to 5/9ths of the Band D amount.
You can complete a 'People with disabilities - Apply for council tax reduction' application form in the 'Do it online' section of this page.
Please note: we will not normally backdate a discount or other reduction unless there are exceptional circumstances. If your request to backdate an award is refused, you can appeal to the council in writing, providing as much relevant documentary evidence as possible.
Before this reduction can be granted, the property has to be inspected by an officer of the Council.