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Request to the council for a council tax discount or exemption (England and Wales)
England and Wales · in English
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For a council taxpayer in England or Wales: a letter to the council asking for the single person discount (25% off when you are the only adult at home), a discount because the other adults are disregarded, such as full-time students, or an exemption, from a date you give, with any backdating and refund. Most councils have a free online form that does the same; this letter suits those who prefer writing or have a case the form does not fit. Sent first class.
- Made for use in England and Wales
- Last updated October 28, 2026
- Document in English
Where a UK document reproduces the words of legislation or of a government publication — UK, Scottish or Northern Irish — it contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
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When to use this document
- Your partner has moved out and you now live alone in England, so you want the single person discount.
- The people you share with are full-time students and you want the council to leave them out of the bill.
- You have paid the full council tax for months although you have lived alone all along and want a refund.
- Everyone in your home in Wales is a full-time student and you want to ask for an exemption.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Sender
- Sender's address
- Town or city
- Sender's postcode
- Date
- Council and department (e.g. Leeds City Council, Council Tax)
- Council's postal address, as on your bill (town, then postcode on the last line)
- Council tax account number (on your bill)
- What you are asking for
- Date from which the discount or exemption should apply
- Address of the property
- Details: who lives there and why they are disregarded or exempt
Common questions
- How do I get the 25% single person discount on council tax?
- Ask your council: most have a free online form, and a letter like this one also works. The discount applies when you are the only adult (18 or over) living in the home, or when every other adult is disregarded, for example a full-time student (section 11 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992). It is not given automatically, and you must tell the council when someone moves in.
- Can a council tax discount be backdated?
- Councils generally apply a discount or exemption from the date you became entitled, and many will go back further when you can show the date with evidence, such as a tenancy start date or a student certificate. How far back they go is a matter of each council's practice, so the letter asks for the earlier date and a refund. If the council refuses, you can ask it to reconsider in writing.
- Who is disregarded when council tax counts the adults in a home?
- People under 18 are not counted at all. Among the adults disregarded are full-time students and student nurses, apprentices and some young people in training, people who are severely mentally impaired, people living permanently in a care home or staying long term in hospital, and some live-in carers. A home where everyone is a full-time student is usually exempt altogether. Ask your council for its evidence requirements.
How you can sign this document
- Print it and sign by hand. The signature lines in the document are left blank on purpose — sign on them in ink.
- Sign it yourself with a qualified electronic signature. If you already hold a QES — Evrotrust, B-Trust, StampIT, ZealiD or any qualified provider on the EU Trusted List, on a card, a USB token, in a mobile app or in the cloud — our signing guide explains step by step how to sign this exact file without invalidating it. Step-by-step help, and a way to check it worked
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