Council tax single person discount | Council Tax Helpline

Council tax By Council Tax Helpline, 10 September 2026

In short

You get 25% off if only one adult counts as living in your home.
Some adults are not counted, such as full-time students, carers, and people with severe mental impairment, so you can get it even if others live with you.
It is not means-tested. Your income makes no difference.
Apply to your council. It can often be backdated to when you became entitled.
Tell your council if someone moves in. Claiming when you are not entitled can lead to a penalty.

How the single person discount works

Council tax assumes two or more adults live in a home. If only one adult counts, you get 25% off. That is the single person discount.

It is not means-tested. Your income and savings make no difference
You can own or rent
It applies in England, Wales and Scotland

Example. A band C bill of £2,000 a year becomes £1,500 with the discount, a saving of £500.

Who counts as an adult?

Anyone aged 18 or over who lives in the home as their main home counts, unless they are disregarded. The key word is count. A household of two adults can still get the discount if one of them is disregarded.

People who are not counted

The main groups of people who are disregarded, in England, include:

Full-time students, student nurses, and some apprentices and youth trainees
18- and 19-year-olds for whom someone still gets Child Benefit
Young people under 20 at school or college, and recent school leavers
Carers who give at least 35 hours of care a week to someone they live with, who is not their partner or their child under 18
People who are severely mentally impaired, for example with dementia. See council tax and dementia
Hospital patients and care home residents whose main home is now there
People in prison, except for non-payment of council tax or a fine
Live-in care workers on low pay, in some circumstances

Example. You live with your adult son, who is a full-time university student. He is disregarded, so only you count. You get the 25% discount, even though two adults live there.

See discounts and exemptions for the full list, and the rules in Wales and Scotland.

Quick check

Could you be paying too much?

Tick anything that applies to your home.

Only one adult lives in the home
Single person discount: 25% off. How it works
Someone is a full-time student, an apprentice, or under 18
They are not counted. That can mean 25% off, or no bill at all if everyone is a student. How it works
Someone has dementia, a severe learning disability or a similar condition, and gets a disability benefit
Severe mental impairment: 25% off, 50% off, or no bill at all. It can be backdated for years. How it works
Someone gives 35 hours or more of care a week to a person they live with
The carer may not be counted, which can bring a discount. How it works
A disabled person lives here and needs an extra room, a second bathroom or kitchen, or uses a wheelchair indoors
Disabled band reduction: charged at one band lower. Not means-tested. How it works
Your income is low, or you get Universal Credit, Pension Credit or another benefit
Council Tax Reduction can cut the bill, and on Pension Credit it often covers all of it. How it works
The home is empty because the person who lived there died, moved into care, or is in prison
The home may be exempt: no council tax at all. How it works
Someone aged 18 to 24 has left local authority care
Care leavers are exempt in Wales and Scotland, and most councils in England exempt them too. How it works

Not sure what you are entitled to? We can check for you.

Ask us to check, free

How to apply

Apply to your council, usually online. You will need to confirm who lives in your home, and for anyone disregarded, the reason, such as a student certificate.

Backdating

If you have been entitled for a while and did not claim, ask for the discount to be backdated to the date you became entitled. Councils usually do this where you can show you were the only adult who counted.

If you are behind with council tax, a backdated discount can reduce the arrears.

Reviews and changes

Councils regularly review single person discounts, often by checking the electoral register and credit reference data. Reply to any review letter.

Tell your council straight away if someone moves in. If you keep claiming when you are no longer entitled, the council can take back the discount and add a penalty.

If you live alone on a low income

The single person discount is separate from Council Tax Reduction, which is for people on low incomes. You can get both. See Council Tax Reduction.

Where are you with your council tax?

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