Your Council Tax bill may be reduced if your home has certain features which are essential, or of major importance, to the wellbeing of a person with a disability, whether an adult or a child, who is resident in the property.

Who can apply

Applications for a reduction can only be made by the people who are responsible for paying Council Tax at the property. 

Who qualifies

Properties with facilities to accommodate the needs of a disabled resident (adult or child) may be granted a reduction.

The types of facilities that qualify:

• a room which is predominantly used by and required for meeting the needs of the disabled resident eg. rooms used for storing dialysis equipment or wheelchairs
• an additional bathroom or kitchen eg. a second bathroom provided to meet the needs of the disabled resident
• space inside the property to allow for wheelchair circulation

The reduction

If you are granted a reduction, the property will be billed in the band below that assigned by the Valuation Office. For example, if your property has been valued as Band C you would be billed as if it was in Band B. Properties already in the lowest Band (A) will receive a reduction which will be the same in cash terms as the reductions for homes in Bands B, C and D.

In assessing your application we will need to be satisfied that:

• there is a disabled resident who needs either space for a wheelchair to be used inside the home, or an additional kitchen or bathroom, or another room specifically set aside for his/her use
• the space is essential or of major importance to the well-being of the disabled resident because of the nature and extent of his/her disability
• it is for this reason that confirmation from a health or social services professional is requested with the application. If for any reason you are unable to obtain this information easily, then do not delay your application if you believe you are eligible for a reduction. In many cases it will not be possible to reach a decision on eligibility without such supporting evidence.

To qualify for a reduction, the extra room need not be specially built but can be an existing room provided that the predominant use of the room is linked to the person's disability and has no other purpose.

To apply, please complete the application for Disablement Relief form and send it to us using our contact us form.