Worthing Borough Council

Council Tax Discounts

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revsbens@worthing.gov.uk

Discounts are a way to reduce the amount of Council Tax that you have to pay and are separate from claiming Council Tax Benefit so if any of the following circumstances apply, you may be eligible for a discount.

Applying - Download Forms

To apply, please download the required form or contact a Customer Service advisor.

Adults living alone

The Single Person Discount is 25%.  The assumption is that a property has two adult occupants (aged 18 or over), so half the liability is in respect of the property and the other half is in respect of the occupiers.  Therefore, a single adult occupant will be entitled to a 25% discount (half of the 50% of the charge in respect of the two occupants).

When an application is received, the information provided is checked against other Council records.

There are also certain circumstances when, although there are two adults (aged 18 or over) resident at the property, one of them is disregarded.  In these circumstances, the adult who isn't disregarded is treated as if they are living on their own and a 25% discount is awarded. 

Other Discounts

Additionally, if all resident adults are disregarded, a 50% discount will be awarded.  These circumstances are:

• People in detention

  People who are detained by order of a court, whether they in prison, a hospital or any other place are disregarded for Council Tax purposes (apart from those detained due to non-payment of Council Tax or a fine).

• People who are severely mentally impaired
  
  Certain qualifying criteria must be met in relation to the person who is severely mentally impaired, and a certificate will need to be provided by a registered medical practitioner stating that the person concerned has a severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning that appears to be permanent.  They must also be in receipt of one of the following state benefits:

  • Incapacity Benefit
  • Attendance Allowance
  • Severe Disablement Allowance
  • The high or middle rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance
  • An increase in the rate of a disablement pension
  • Constant Attendance Allowance in respect of some pensions
  • Income Support that includes a disability premium

• Full time students, student nurses and Youth Training trainees
  
  Students and trainees may be disregarded for Council Tax purposes if they are attending a university or recognised college and studying for a course that:

  • Lasts for at least one academic year (i.e. at least 24 weeks); and
  • Involves at least 21 hours of study per week during term time
  
  Correspondence courses, evening classes or courses taken in connection with a job are not included.  A certificate confirming the student's status will need to be obtained from the college or university.
  
  Student nurses who are studying towards becoming a registered nurse, midwife or health visitor may be disregarded.
  
  Trainees aged under 25 undertaking a course through an approved scheme under the Employment & Training Act 1973 may also be disregarded.

• Patients who are resident in a hospital or care home
  
  People who are resident in a hospital or care home will be disregarded for Council Tax purposes provided they are receiving care and the hospital or care home is their sole or main residence.

• 18 & 19 year olds who are at, or have just, left school
  
  If an 18 or 19 year-old is at school/college or has left school/college after 1st April, they will be disregarded until 1st November of the same year, and if they subsequently move into higher education (university) they may continue to be disregarded.

• 18 & 19 year olds for whom Child Benefit is (or would be) payable
  
  18 & 19 year olds for whom Child Benefit is (or would be) payable are disregarded for Council Tax purposes.

• Care workers
  
  A carer will be disregarded for Council Tax purposes if they are:

  • Working for 24 hours or more each week; and
  • Earning less than £44 each week; and
  • Employed through a connection with the Crown, a charity or local authority; and
  • Resident at the property where they provide the care (or at a an alternative property that has been provided in order to carry out their duties)
  
  There is no requirement for the person being cared for to be in receipt of a state benefit.
  
  Alternatively, a resident carer will be disregarded for Council Tax purposes as long as they are providing care for at least 35 hours each week and are not a disqualified relative (e.g. a spouse, partner or parent of a disabled child).  In addition, the carer in this category must be providing care for a person who is entitled to one of the following state benefits:
  
  
  • High rate Attendance Allowance; or
  • High rate care component of Disability Living Allowance; or
  • An increased rate of Disablement Pension; or
  • An increased rate of Constant Attendance Allowance; or

• Members of religious communities
  
  Members of religious communities will be disregarded provided they do not have a personal income or capital.  Such people are defined as being someone whose main work is prayer, contemplation, the relief of suffering, education or any combination of these.

• People staying in hostels or night shelters provided for the homeless
  
  Anyone who is resident in accommodation for the homeless is disregarded provided that it is not made up of self-contained units and is used essentially for people of no fixed abode.

• Members of certain international headquarters and defence organisations, visiting forces, diplomats and non-British spouses of students
  
  Such people may be eligible for a discount or an exemption.  Please contact a Customer Services Agent for further details.

• Apprentices
  
  Apprentices may be disregarded if they are employed to learn a job and, as part of that learning, they are undertaking training leading to a qualification recognised by the National Council for Vocational Qualifications.  They must be paid no more than £160 per week and expect to earn substantially more when they qualify.

In addition to these disregards, discounts can also be awarded due to the circumstances of the property (rather than the people living there), as follows:

• No one lives at the property
  
  Local Authorities have the discretion to set a discount for unoccupied properties.  Long-term empty properties that are unfurnished (i.e. where an exemption has ended) now receive no discount and the owner is required to pay the full amount with effect from the end of the exemption period.  However, when an unoccupied property is furnished, it is treated as a "second home" and a 10% discount will apply from the date that it becomes unoccupied.

Disabled Reduction Scheme

Your Council Tax liability may be reduced by one valuation band (or 1/9th of band D if the property is already in band A) providing your home has certain features that are essential, or of major importance, to the well-being of someone who is disabled and resident in the dwelling.  The disabled person can be an adult or a child.  The "essential features" are

• A room (other than a bathroom, kitchen or toilet) that is predominantly used by the disabled person in order to meet their needs; or
• An additional bathroom or kitchen for the use of the disabled person; or
• Extra space to allow for the use of a wheelchair in the property

Information about Council Tax Exemptions.

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