UK Council Tax Savings Calculator

A 25% reduction on council tax if only ONE adult is resident in the property and counted for council tax purposes. "Counted" excludes: full-time students, people with severe mental impairment (SMI), carers providing 35+ hours/week, under-18s, 18–19-year-olds in full-time non-advanced education, student nurses, foreign language assistants, and members of religious communities. So a household with a parent and two adult students counts as ONE adult → 25% SPD applies.

A means-tested reduction for low-income households, replacing the old Council Tax Benefit in 2013. Each English local authority runs its own scheme (within a Department for Communities framework); Scotland has a national scheme; Wales has a national scheme with LA flexibility. Typical structure: income disregard (£180–£250/month) + taper rate (20–25% of excess income reduces CTR) + minimum liability (0–15% of bill must still be paid). Pension Credit (Guarantee Credit) recipients almost always get 100% CTR (minus any minimum liability).

If a property has been adapted for a disabled resident (extra bathroom, room for wheelchair use, additional kitchen), the council can reduce your bill by effectively TREATING the property as one band lower. Band D → billed as Band C. Band A with reduction goes to "Band A minus" (a 1/9 reduction of the Band A amount). Not means-tested. Apply via local authority with evidence of adaptations.

An adult diagnosed by a doctor with severe mental impairment (dementia, Alzheimer's, severe learning disabilities, stroke-related cognitive impairment) AND entitled to a qualifying benefit (Attendance Allowance, PIP daily living, DLA middle/higher care, etc.) is DISREGARDED from council tax. If they live alone → 100% exemption. If they live with one other adult → 25% SPD applies. Critically under-claimed — thousands of families miss this, worth £500–£2,500/year per case.

A property occupied solely by full-time students is fully exempt from council tax. Part-time students, students outside term time for extended periods, and students over 20 on "advanced" courses may not qualify — check definitions carefully. Households mixing students with non-students: non-students count; household may get SPD if only one non-student adult remains.

Scotland: national CTR scheme applied uniformly; Council Tax Reduction is more generous than most English schemes; no minimum liability requirement in Scotland since 2022. Wales: standard national scheme plus local authority discretionary additions; Welsh Council Tax Reduction Scheme protects pensioners at 100% support. Both Scotland and Wales have 9 bands (A–I); England has 8 (A–H). Scottish Bands E–H pay proportionally more than English equivalents due to the 2017 band reform.

Available in Scotland and some legacy English schemes for pensioners. If you live with a second adult on a low income (other than a partner) and you don't qualify for the main CTR because of your own income, you can claim up to 25% reduction based on the second adult's income. Not widely advertised — ask specifically about Second Adult Rebate when applying for CTR.

Yes — each discount requires its own application, typically online at your local authority website. Contact details and online forms are searchable on gov.uk/apply-council-tax-reduction. Discounts are NOT automatic and are NOT backdated more than 6 months (some authorities allow longer for SMI diagnoses). Keep copies of all supporting evidence (student certificates, doctor letters, PIP award letters).

Northern Ireland uses a domestic rates system, not council tax. Rates are set by NI Direct + your local council. Support schemes: Housing Benefit rates relief, Lone Pensioner Allowance, Rate Rebate for low-income owner-occupiers. Different application routes — see nidirect.gov.uk. This tool shows indicative figures only for NI.