What are Discounts ?
They are ways you may be entitled to a reduction in your Council Tax. There are a variety of different types of discounts and reductions available.
There are certain people that can also be disregarded when calculating Council Tax:
Single Adult Discount
If you are the only adult (aged over 18) living in the property your bill can be reduced by 25%.
Questions and Answers about claiming a Single Person Discount
My partner is a member of the armed forces or works away and only comes home occasionally. Can I claim a Single Person Discount?
No – Your home is still treated as your partner’s sole and main residence because there is a intention to return to the property as part of the family unit.
My daughter has just turned 18 but studies at college. Can I claim a Discount?
This will depend on where she will be living. If she will be away living in Halls of Residence or other accommodation then you can claim the Single Person Discount. If she will continue to live with you then you cannot claim a Single Person Discount – however you may be entitled to seek a reduction under the Full Time Student Status Disregard.
A friend is coming to stay for a month's holiday. Do I lose my Single Person Discount?
No – They will not be considered as part of your household as they have a main residence elsewhere?
HOW TO APPLY:
Single Person Discount can be awarded on completing a Single Person Discount application form or following a claim for benefit (if it is evident from the claim there is only one adult occupying the property as their main home)
Apply by downloading the Single Person form . This form should be completed online. It will then be forwarded automatically to the Local Tax Office to be dealt with.
How long will the discount last?
The discount will continue for as long as you occupy the property as the single adult.
The following types of changes may affect your discount and you should let us know if:
- Another adult comes to stay with you and this is their main home
- A child reaches the age of 18
- You leave the property on a permanent basis
We need this information to enable us to fulfill our duty to keep the Authority’s records up to date.
If you have any change of circumstances and you are unsure whether they will affect your entitlement please ask.
Council Tax on Second Homes
A second home is a property that someone owns or rents in addition to their main home, is usually left empty some of the time and is furnished. From 1st April 2005, Council Tax payers in Basingstoke & Deane will be entitled to a 10% discount. This means that they will have to pay 90%.
The only exception to this rule will be where someone lives in a second home that is ‘tied accommodation’. This means that, if the Council Tax payer lives in a property provided by his (or his wife’s) employer specifically for his or her job, he will still be able to get the 50% discount. If your employer provides your second home, for the better/proper performance of your duties, or if there is a special security arrangement in place, please contact the Local Tax Office on (01256) 358555.
The rules about what is (or isn’t) a second home can be quite involved, so if you think you might be affected by these changes, please contact the Local Tax office on (01256) 358555 to talk about your particular circumstances and whether you will have to pay more Council Tax on your second home.
Disablement Reduction
There is no age restriction on the qualifying individual although only one relief is allowed per dwelling even though more than one disabled person may be resident.
In order for a reduction to be allowed there must be:
- A room not a bathroom, kitchen, or lavatory which is predominantly used by and is required for meeting the needs of any qualifying individual resident in the dwelling or
- A bathroom or kitchen which is not the only bathroom or kitchen within the dwelling and is predominantly used and is required for meeting the needs of the qualifying individual resident in the dwelling or
- Sufficient floor space for the use of a wheelchair required for meeting the needs of the qualifying individual resident in the dwelling.
Where the legislation refers to " anything required for meeting the needs of the qualifying individual" it must be essential or of major importance to his/her well being by reason of the extent and nature of his/her disability.
A wheelchair is not regarded as being required for meeting the needs of a qualifying individual if it is not used within the dwelling.
The reduction will be the equivalent to a re-banding of the dwelling into the band immediately below that shown in the valuation list. - This is deemed the alternate band.
No actual alteration to the valuation list will be made.
HOW TO APPLY:
Apply by email or in writing with contact details for the Welfare Officer to arrange a convenient time for a visit.
Disregards From Council Tax
Individual Status Disregards
Some people aged over 18 can be ignored when counting the number of adults living in a property. If someone living with you falls into one of the following categories then they will not be counted for Council Tax purposes and you can claim the 25% discount on your bill.
Important – A 25% discount cannot be awarded if after ignoring all discounted people, two adults remain as living in the property.
1. 18/19 year olds – where Child Benefit is awarded
We will not count young persons who are 18 or 19 years old and are in full time education (other than higher education). This includes people who are at school or college and are on courses up to and including A level standard.
You will also not be counted if you have a young person aged at least 18 and you are getting Child Benefit for them or would be if they were not in care.
If you have a young person aged 18 or 19 years old who has left school after the 30 April, we will not count them until the 1 November of the same year. (You may continue to get a discount for them as a student if they go on to Further or Higher education)
2. Persons in Detention (see also Exemption Class D)
Where someone is detained under remand or custodial powers, they will be discounted for Council Tax purposes. The person must be detained in a prison, hospital or other place by the order of a court, or under an Immigration or Mental Health Act.
People detained for non-payment of Council Tax will not be discounted.
3. Hospital Patients (See also Exemption Class E)
People who remain permanently in a hospital (N.H.S hospital or Armed Forces medical centres) as their main home will not be counted for Council Tax purposes. If you are in hospital for a short time and have a home elsewhere you will continue to be responsible for the council tax for your home.
4. Nursing Home or Care Home Patients (see also Exemption Class E)
People who live permanently in a Residential Care Home, Nursing Home, Mental Care Nursing Home or a High Care Hostel as their main or only home will not be counted.
5. People staying in certain Hostels or Night Shelters
A person whose main or only home is a place such as a short stay hostel or night shelter providing communal accommodation for people who have no fixed abode and no settled way of life is not counted. These may include hostels run by the Salvation Army or Church Army.
6. Youth Trainees
This relates to persons who are:
- under the age of 25 and
- are undertaking a course on an approved training scheme with an individual training plan within the Youth Training Scheme such as TCT, Options, Future and Next Step.
7. Apprenticeship
This relates to persons who are:
- Employed to learn a trade, business or profession and is undertaking a training course which leads to a qualification recognised by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications and
- Is receiving a salary or allowance, which is no more than £160 per week and which is substantially less than the salary he/she would receive if qualified.
8. School or College Leavers
This is a person who:
- Is under the age of 20.
- Has within the last year ceased undertaking a qualifying course of education since 30 April of that year
The discount will only apply until the November 1st of that year.
9. Students (See also Exemption Class K, M & N)
A student is someone undertaking a full time course at a prescribed educational establishment
A full time course is one which:
- Lasts for one academic or calendar year
- Requires attendance at an educational establishment for at least 24 weeks in that year
- And that person’s study/tuition/work experience amounts to at least 21 hours per week.
A student is a person who is:
- A foreign language assistant, or
- Undertaking a full time course of education, or
- Undertaking a qualifying course and is under 20 years old.
A student will be asked to provide a certificate issued by their educational establishment.
10. Student Nurses
You will not be counted if you are a student nurse on a course leading to registration on any of Parts 1 to 6 or 8 of the Nursing Register. Only students studying for their first inclusion on the Register are not counted. Nurses who are already on the Register but are taking further courses are counted. Student nurses studying academic courses at universities or who are on Project 2000 courses are excluded from this definition as they are considered as students as defined above.
11. Care Workers and Carers (See also Exemption Class J)
A Care Worker is a person who:
- Gives care to another person on behalf of a charity or Local Authority and
- Must work for at least 24 hours per week and be paid not more than £36 per week for this work
- Lives in premises provided by the employer for the better performance of his/her job.
A Carer is a person who:
i). Provides care to a person who is entitled to one of the following benefits:
- A higher rate of Attendance Allowance.
- The highest rate of care component of Disability Living Allowance.
- An increase in the rate of Disablement pension.
- An increase in constant Attendance Allowance, and
ii). Lives in the same property as the person for whom he/she is caring.
iii). Must provide care for at least 35 hours per week, and
iv). The person who receives care must not be a partner or child under the age of 18 years old.
HOW TO APPLY:
Apply by downloading the Carer Form . This form should be completed online. It will then be forwarded automatically to the Local Tax Office to be dealt with. Further proof may then be requested.
12. Severely Mentally Impaired (See also Exemption Class U)
For Council Tax purposes a person will be regarded as severely mentally impaired if he or she suffers, for whatever reason, from severe mental impairment of intelligence or social functioning which appears to be permanent e.g. Alzheimer’s or other similar illnesses.
Severe impairment of social functioning - will probably be taken to mean that the person has severe learning difficulties and cannot learn more than the basic self care skills such as dressing, eating, using the toilet, washing etc.
The person must be certified by a doctor as being severely mentally impaired and must be entitled to at least one of the following benefits:
- Incapacity Benefit at the long-term rate.
- Attendance Allowance.
- Severe Disablement Allowance.
- The care component of a Disability Living Allowance.
- An increase in Disablement Allowance where constant attendance is needed.
- Disability Working Allowance.
- An Unemployability supplement or allowance.
- Constant Attendance Allowance.
HOW TO APPLY:
APPLY BY downloading the Severely Mentally Impaired document below. The document should be completed online and then printed (the document is 4 pages long) and returned to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, PO Box 191, Civic Offices, London Road, Basingstoke, Hants RG21 7EA.
13. Religious Communities
You will not be counted if you are a member of a religious community, provided that you depend on the community for your material needs and have no personal income or savings. (This will still apply if you receive income from a pension or pensions from a former job.)
Only members of religious communities whose main work is prayer, contemplation, the relief of suffering, education or any combination of these areas will not be counted.
14. Diplomats, Members of Visiting Forces, International Headquarter and Defence Organisations (see also Exemption Classes P & V)
You will not be counted if you are a Diplomat, member of a visiting Armed Force, or a member (or dependant of a member) of certain International Headquarters and Defence Organisations.
