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Single person discount

If you're the only adult living in your home, you get 25% off your council tax. The same applies if the other adults are people the law doesn't count, such as full-time students.

Checked against official sources on 27 October 2026. Independent guide; your council decides your bill.

A full council tax bill assumes at least two adults live in the home. When only one adult does, the bill is cut by a quarter. On an average Band D bill in 2026/27 that's worth about £598 a year in England, £571 in Wales and £413 in Scotland.

Who isn't counted

Some adults are "disregarded": they live with you but don't count towards the number of adults. If everyone apart from you is disregarded, you still get 25% off. If everyone is disregarded, the discount is 50%. The main groups are:

  • anyone under 18
  • full-time students and student nurses, and 18 or 19 year olds in full-time education
  • apprentices on low pay (in England, earning no more than £195 a week; in Wales, paid no more than the apprentice minimum wage rate)
  • people with a severe mental impairment (called "significant cognitive impairment" in Wales since April 2026)
  • live-in carers looking after someone who isn't their partner or young child, for at least 35 hours a week
  • people living in a care home or hospital, or in prison
  • care leavers: under 26 in Scotland and 24 or under in Wales (in England this is up to each council)
  • diplomats and some members of visiting forces and international organisations

How to claim

Apply to your council, usually through its website. It may ask for proof, and it reviews discounts from time to time. You must tell the council if someone moves in: if you keep a discount you are no longer entitled to, it can recover the money and fine you. Find your council's site from your council's page.

Differences between the nations

  • England: 25% off, under the Local Government Finance Act 1992.
  • Wales: the same 25%, now set out in the Welsh regulations that took effect on 1 April 2026, which also updated who is disregarded.
  • Scotland: 25% off council tax, and Scottish Water says household discounts also apply to the water and sewerage charges on the same bill.

Living alone isn't the same as being on a low income. If money is tight you may also qualify for Council Tax Reduction, which can be combined with the single person discount.

Questions

How much is the single person discount?

25% off the council tax bill, in England, Wales and Scotland. On an average Band D bill in 2026/27 that's about £598 a year in England, £571 in Wales and £413 in Scotland, where it also comes off water and sewerage charges.

Can I get the single person discount if I live with my child?

Yes, if your child is under 18, because under-18s are not counted. An adult child counts unless they are disregarded, for example as a full-time student or because child benefit is still paid for them.

Is the discount automatic?

No. You have to apply to your council, and you must tell it if another adult moves in. If you keep a discount you are no longer entitled to, the council can take it back and fine you.

Can I get 50% off?

Yes, if everyone who lives there is disregarded, for example a live-in carer living with someone who is severely mentally impaired. If everyone is a full-time student the home is exempt altogether.

Official sources