You may be eligible for a reduction on your council tax if you are disabled (see definition below) , or you have a disabled person living with you as their sole or main residence, who needs to use a wheelchair indoors, or if the property has:

• an additional bathroom or kitchen which is specifically for the use of the disabled person (a second toilet with or without a washbasin, or a bathroom converted to a wet room or a shower room is not classed as a bathroom)
• another room(which isn't a bathroom, kitchen or toilet) used predominantly to meet the disabled persons needs. For example a room used for storing dialysis equipment or wheelchairs, or a room that has been adapted specifically for the disabled person to use.
• enough space for the use of a wheelchair indoors required for meeting the needs of the disabled person (if the wheelchair is used outdoors only, this will not count)

A qualifying disabled person is defined as 'a person who is substantially and permanently disabled, whether by illness, injury, congenital deformity or otherwise.'

The room or wheelchair use must also be essential or of major importance to the disabled persons wellbeing, due to the nature and extent of their disability. 

You must be able to show that the room or space is needed because of the person's disability and that they would not need it if they were not disabled. In this sense the room must be 'extra'. However, you do not need to have specially adapted a room or to have built a new room.

If you are successful with your application you will get a reduction of one band rate on your council tax.  For example your council tax band is a band C you would get a reduction to a band B. If your property is already in the lowest council tax band (band A) you can still receive a reduction. The charge will be reduced to five ninths of a band D property.

Please upload any photographs to support your application (such as photographs of the room/space used and any equipment used)  and any other supporting documentation such as letters from a specialist person giving treatment or a social worker. If you do not submit photographs and any supporting evidence it may delay your application. We may also arrange a visit to your home, if its safe to do so, to confirm eligibility.

Apply

Disablement reduction application

Your reduction will start from the date you made your application. If you want us to consider awarding from an earlier date you must provide evidence to show that you met the qualifying criteria from that date. 

If you are awarded the reduction, you will be asked to confirm your circumstances are the same on an annual basis.

If you are unsuccessful with your application, we will inform you of the outcome and your right to appeal the decision.

Change in circumstance

If at any point your household circumstances change in relation to this discount - such as the qualifying disabled person moves out you must notify us.

This information is provided as guidance only and is not a full statement of the laws around disabled person reduction. The law can be complicated with reductions so we will need to fully look into the circumstances surrounding applications to decide if any reduction is applicable.