Single person discount
If you are the only person aged 18 or over living in your property you may be entitled to a 25% discount in your Council Tax.
If you are receiving this discount and someone else moves in your property or a family member becomes 18 you must tell us immediately as this will affect your discount.
If you falsely claim this discount, you may subject yourself to a financial penalty.
If you think you are entitled to a discount as a single person, please complete this form.
Other discounts
A full Council Tax bill assumes that your property is occupied by at least two persons aged 18 or over. We do not count some people when working out the number of adults living in a property. These include:
- Full-time students, student nurses, apprentices and youth trainees
- People who live in hospital
- People who are being looked after in care homes
- People who are severely mentally impaired
- People staying in hostels for the homeless or night shelters
- 18 and 19 year olds who have just left school
- Resident care workers working for low pay
- People caring for someone who is not their partner or their child
- Members of visiting forces and foreign institutions
- Diplomats and their husbands or wives (who are not British)
- Monks and nuns
- People in prison (except those in prison for non payment of Council Tax or fines)
- People who are under 21 and have recently left the care of Essex County Council
If you think you may be entitled to a discount because you live with a person, or people who are a full time students, severely mentally impaired, prisoners, someone Child Benefit is paid for, or someone who is under 21 and recently left care provided by Essex County Council, please complete the Council Tax Discount Form.
If you think you may be entitled to a discount for any other reason call us on 01702 318197 or 01702 318198
If you are awarded a discount, and your circumstances change, you must tell us within 21 days, or you may be subject to a financial penalty.
If you think you may be entitled to a discount call us on 01702 318197 or 01702 318198
Annex Discount
A 50% discount could apply if your annexe
is being used by a resident of that main home as part of their sole or main residence
or is occupied by a relative of the person who is liable to pay Council Tax on the main home.
Exemptions
Some properties may be exempt from payment of Council Tax.
The different classes of exemption are listed below:
Properties that are solely occupied by:
- full time students
- severely mentally impaired people
- people under the age of 18
- diplomats who would normally have to pay Council Tax
- members of a visiting force who would normally have to pay Council Tax
- dependent relatives living in certain annexes
If you think your home should be exempt from Council Tax because the property is solely occupied by students or severely mentally impaired people please complete the Council Tax Discount Form.
Unoccupied properties which:
- are owned by a charity (exempt for up to six months)
- are left empty and the owner or tenant who was living there is in prison
- are left empty by some-one who has moved to receive personal care in a hospital, care home or somewhere else
- are waiting for probate or letters of administration to be granted (after someone has died) and for up to six months after the probate or letters are granted
- are empty because it is against the law for anyone to live in it
- are waiting to be lived in by a minister of religion
- are empty because the owner or tenant who was living there has moved away to care for someone
- are owned by a student and they were the last person to live there
- have been repossessed and are still empty
- are the responsibility of a trustee for someone who has been made bankrupt
- are a pitch for a caravan or mobile home, or a mooring for a houseboat
- are part of a property that also includes another home and cannot be let separately
If you think your property may be exempt from Council Tax for any of the above reasons call us on 01702 318197 or 01702 318198.
If you are awarded a discount, and your circumstances change, you must tell us within 21 days, or you may be subject to a financial penalty.
Council Tax on empty properties
We do not offer a discount for properties that are unoccupied and unfurnished, undergoing or requiring major works or structural alterations.
These types of properties are subject to 100% Council Tax.
Premiums
Currently an additional amount of Council Tax (a premium) is charged when a property has been empty and unfurnished for two years or more. From 1st April 2024 this is changing to one year or more.
These are:
- A premium of 100% on properties which have been empty and unfurnished for more than two years (This is changing to one year from 1st April 2024)
- A premium of 200% on properties which have been empty and unfurnished for more than five years
- A premium of 300% on properties which have been empty and unfurnished for more than ten years
As this premium applies to the property, a change of ownership or tenancy will not affect the premium. If when you purchased or leased your property it had already been empty and unfurnished for two years or more, you will have to pay the premium that applies.
Second Homes
From 1st April 2025 a premium of 100% will apply to all furnished dwellings which are no one’s main residence (second homes).
There are two types of property that currently do not have to pay a premium. These are:
- property which is left empty by a member of the armed services, who is away from the property as a result of their service
- property which forms part of a single property, for example, an annexe which is used by the owner of the main house.
Central Government has been consulting on categories of properties which will not be subject to the premium or have a time limited exemption. These are:
- properties undergoing probate, for a maximum of 12 months after the date probate is granted
- properties actively being marketed for sale, for a maximum of 6 months from the date marketing commenced
- properties undergoing major repairs, for a maximum of 6 months
- caravan pitches and houseboat moorings
- job related properties
We are still awaiting final confirmation that these categories of properties. Once regulations have been issued we will update this page.
If you need to tell us the property is empty, please complete this form.
Disabled Persons Banding Reductions
You may be entitled to a reduction in your Council Tax if a disabled person lives in your property and has one of the following features to meet their needs:
- An extra bathroom or kitchen
- A room, for example one used for kidney dialysis equipment
- Sufficient floor space to permit the use of a wheelchair. The disabled person must require the use of a wheelchair indoors
For more information or to apply call us on 01702 318197 or 01702 318198
If your qualify we calculate your bill using the valuation band below the current band of your property. For band A properties your Council Tax will be reduced by one ninth of the band D amount.