Apply for a discount based on your personal circumstances

Why can some households get a Council Tax discount?

When calculating a household's Council Tax bill, some people (due to their personal circumstances) may not be counted. After these people have been discounted, if one or no people are left in the household, then you may qualify for a discount on your bill.

How are Council Tax discounts calculated?

Half of the Council Tax charge is for the property and the other half is for the people, based on two adults, living in a property.

To work out if you may qualify for a discount, count the adults in your property and take away any people who fall into classes given below. If you are left with one adult, your bill will be reduced by a quarter, if you are left with no adults your bill will be reduced by a half.

Also, some households (such as those occupied by full-time students only) may qualify for a full discount (meaning they would pay no Council Tax at all).

Disability - properties adapted for a householder's disability

If a member of your household has a permanent disability, you may qualify for a reduction if the property has an adaptation which meets the needs of a disability:

• an extra bathroom
• a special room, for example for physiotherapy
• space to allow wheel chair to be used indoors

If you qualify for a reduction, we will reduce your Council Tax bill to the band below. If your property is already in the lowest band (band A) we will reduce it by one sixth.

To apply: please call us on 01274 437715 to request an application form to be sent to you.

Severe Mental Impairment

Anyone who is medically certified as having a permanent condition that severely affects their intellectual and social functioning may be eligible to a Council Tax discount. For more information, visit our Severe Mental Impairment page.

Annexes which receive a separate Council Tax bill to the main home

If the annex is used by the resident of the main home as part of their dwelling, or is occupied by a relative as their home, then an additional 50% discount of the net bill may be applied to that part.

To apply, complete the annex discount form.

People who are detained / in prison

People who normally live in the property but are currently in prison (except those in prison for non-payment of Council Tax or a fine) are also not counted for Council Tax purposes.

To apply, use our online Council Tax discount form for persons detained in prison.

Disability - caring for a disabled member of the household

People caring for someone with a disability who is not a spouse, partner or the carer's own child if under the age of 18, are also not counted for Council Tax purposes.

To apply, use our online carer's discount form.

Care leavers

From 1 April 2022, young people who were being looked after by Bradford Council at the point they turned 18 and have now left care can be exempt from paying Council Tax up to the age of 25. This exemption applies up to the end of the financial year in which the care leaver reaches the age of 25.

Before 1 April 2022 different rules applied regarding the discounts that were available to former care leavers. You can find out further information from your Through Care Key Worker.

Other people who may qualify for a discount

If you or a member of your household fits into one of the categories in this following list of people, please call us on 01274 437715.

• A student's spouse or dependant who is not a British Citizen and who by law may not take paid employment or claim benefits.
• People who are under the age of 20 who have left school or college after 30 April (not counted until 1 November of that year).
• Members of religious communities who have no income or capital of their own and are dependent on the religious community to provide for their material needs.
• People aged 18 for whom child benefit is still payable.
• Student nurses.
• People employed to provide care (eg through an agency such as CSV).
• People staying in certain hostels and night shelters.
• Members of visiting forces and certain international institutions.
• Diplomats, persons who have diplomatic immunity and certain members of their household.
• Apprentices (earning less than £195 per week gross) or youth training trainees