A full council tax bill is based on at least 2 adults, aged 18 or over, living in a property together. There are several ways you can reduce your bill, because you live alone or the second adult qualifies for a reduction because of their circumstance.
Discounts and exemptions
- Single person discount
- Students and student nurses discount
- Apprentices and youth training schemes discount
- People in detention
- Care workers and carers
- 18 and 19 year olds eligible for child benefit
- Patients in hospital or care homes
- People with a disability who have additional rooms or extra space
- People with a severe mental impairment
- Empty properties and properties undergoing major development
Properties which become unoccupied and substantially unfurnished will receive a 100 percent discount for the first six months.
This is a property based discount and the effective date starts when the property first became unoccupied and unfurnished, irrespective of any changes in ownership or tenants
Where a property has been left empty for more than 2 years it will be subject to a Council Tax Premium – meaning for these properties the liable person will pay an additional charge on top of their normal Council Tax.
Where the property has been left empty for more than 2 years the additional premium will be 100% of the normal charge, and where the property has been empty for more than 5 years this will be 200% of the normal charge. Where the property has been empty for more than 10 years a 300% premium will be added to the charge.
There is no discount in Fylde for furnished second homes.
You may be eligible for a major works exemption of 100% relief for a period of up to 12 months whilst the work is ongoing.
I work away – can I claim a discount?
Usually the answer to this question is no. A person will normally be regarded as having their main residence in the property even though they may work away for long periods.
When counting the number of adults in a property certain people are disregarded and not counted for discount purposes.
The following persons are not counted:
- Full time students
- Persons still in receipt of child benefit
- Prisoners
- Youth training trainees
- Persons who are severely mentally impaired (must be in receipt of one of the following qualifying benefits: ESA, AA, Higher or middle rate DLA, or severe disablement allowance)
- Carers. Someone who is caring for a person with a disability who is not their husband, wife, partner or a child under 18, or someone who is working for low pay,usually employed by a charity, to provide care
- School / College leavers aged 18 or 19 who have finished a course of education between 1st May and 30th October
- Patients in nursing and care homes
- Hospital Patients who are long term patients
- Student nurses
- Persons residing in Hostels
- Apprentices
- Members of Religious Communities e.g. Monks and Nuns
- Spouses of Students who are not British citizens and can’t take up employment or claim benefits
- Diplomats
- Members of international headquarters and defence organisations
The above is only a broad indication of the persons not counted. A number of conditions may need to be met before the disregard is satisfied. If you require further information please contact fylderevenues@blackpool.gov.uk
- An unoccupied property owned and previously used by a charity. The maximum exemption period is 6 months
- An unoccupied property which was the previous residence of someone now detained in custody
- An unoccupied property which was the previous residence of someone who has moved permanently into a residential home or hospital to receive care
- An unoccupied property which is waiting for probate or letters of administration to be granted. The maximum exemption is for 6 months after probate or letters of administration have been granted
- A property which is unoccupied because the law forbids occupation
- An unoccupied property reserved for a minister of religion
- An unoccupied property which was the previous residence of someone who has permanently moved into another property (not a residential home or hospital) to receive personal care
- An unoccupied property which was the previous residence of someone who has permanently moved away to provide personal care to another person
- An unoccupied property which was the previous residence of someone who is now a full time qualifying student and who now lives elsewhere
- An unoccupied property where the mortgage lender is in possession
- Student halls of residence
- A property occupied only by full time qualifying students
- An armed forces barracks
- Accommodation for visiting forces and dependents
- An unoccupied property which is controlled by the trustee in bankruptcy following insolvency proceedings
- A vacant caravan pitch or boat mooring
- A property occupied only by people aged under 18 years
- An unoccupied annex which may not be let separately without a breach of planning control
- An occupied property where all of the residents are deemed to be severely mentally impaired, as confirmed by a registered medical practitioner
- A property occupied by a foreign diplomat
- An annex occupied by a dependent elderly or disabled relative
The above classes are only a broad summary of the legislation. Within each class there may be a number of conditions which have to be met before the exemption is satisfied.
