Council Tax Discounts
A discount of 25% of the full tax is available if there is only one adult (person aged 18 and over) living in the property (as their main home), or if other adults living in the property are 'disregarded' for council tax purposes.
An adult is 'disregarded' for council tax purposes if they fall into one of the following groups.
- Persons in prison
- The severely mentally impaired
- School or college leavers under 19
- Full time students
- Student nurses
- Apprentices
- Youth training trainees
- Hospital patients
- Care workers
- Residents of hostels for the homeless or night shelters.
- Members of religious communities
- Members (and dependants) of visiting forces
- Non-British spouses of students
- Persons with diplomatic privilege
- Carers. This applies if the carer is looking after someone who is in receipt of benefits which include the higher rate componant of Disability Livling Allowance or higher rate Attendance Allowance and the person they care for is not their spouse, parter or child under 18. They must also care for that person for at least 35 hours per week on average.
Properties which become vacant, and are not second homes, will usually be awarded an Exemption from Council Tax for 6 months. Following this no further Discount will be awarded. This applies to the property even if it changes in ownership during this time, as only one term of 6 months will be allowed.
Second homes attract a 10% discount.
You may be required to provide evidence to support your claim for a Discount, and you MUST inform us if you have a change in your circumstances, which will effect the discount.
New Locally Defined Discounts for certain empty properties - April 2013
The Council Tax (Prescribed Classes of Dwellings) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2012
Changes that have been made to the Class A and Class C Exemptions.
From 1st April 2013, the Government abolish these Exemptions and replace them by giving discretion to each Local Authority to adopt its own Local Discount.
North Hertfordshire District Council has decided that it will not award a Local Discount for empty properties that would have fallen into the ‘old’ Class A Exemption and award a 100% discount for 28 days for the ‘old’ class C Exemptions.
Under the existing rules, the full amount of Council Tax would have become due once properties had been empty for twelve months for the ‘old’ Class A and six months for the ‘old’ Class C, and the decision to bring forward these dates is part of the Council’s strategy to bring more properties into occupation.
Therefore from 1st April, the Council Tax Payer at any properties which fall into these categories, will be liable for the full amount of Council Tax.
How to Contact us
Fraudulent Claims for Discounts
If you are aware of someone who is fraudulently claiming a Discount, please contact our Fraud Helpline on 01462 474466 between 9am and 5pm or 01462 474289 outside of office hours.
Your call will be treated in strictest confidence - or you can leave the information anonymously.
