Exemptions, discounts & council tax support

• Telephone: 0345 600 6400 (charged at your local rate)
• Email: counciltax@northumberland.gov.uk
• Eform: council tax enquiry form

• Download a Class E exemption form here. (Permanent resident in hospital or care home).
• Download a Class W exemption form here. (Annexes occupied by dependent relatives).

• If you are granted an exemption, we may send you a review form to check you are still entitled to it. Failure to supply this information could result in removal of the exemption. 

• If you are awarded an exemption and your entitlement ends, you must notify the council within 21 days. 

• If you have applied for an exemption but have not yet received a decision on this application, you must still pay your council tax in accordance with your most recent bill. 

• If you are awarded a time-limited exemption with an expiration date, the council tax bill issued will show the exemption to the end of the financial year. A further bill will be issued immediately before the expiry date, showing the revised council tax liability. 

• Download and complete the disabled band reduction application form.
• Request this form by calling the contact centre on 0345 600 6400 (charged at your local rate)

To qualify for a reduction, the disabled person must be a resident in a property with one of the following- a room used predominately by the disabled person: 

• This must be a room that is not a kitchen, bathroom, lavatory or bedroom in normal use. For example, the room may be used for housing a dialysis machine or other special equipment- a second bathroom or kitchen: 

• This extra bathroom or kitchen must be essential, or of major importance, to the wellbeing of the disabled person because of the extent of their disability- space to use a wheelchair. 

• This must be space that has been allowed for the disabled person to use a wheelchair indoors. 

Once we have your application, an inspections officer will contact you to arrange a time to inspect and assess the property. You will be notified in writing of the outcome of your application. 
 
If you are awarded disabled band reduction, you will receive a reduction in your council tax equivalent to being charged at the next lowest valuation band. 
 
For example, if you have a Band C property you would be charged council tax of a Band B property. If you are in Band A, your reduction is equivalent to 1/9 the charge of an average Band D property. 

If you wish to claim council tax support or second adult rebate, you can either: 

• Complete an online application form here. You can also upload supporting documents at the same time as making your online application.  This is the quickest and easiest way to apply for Council Tax Support. 

• Request this form by calling the contact centre on 0345 600 6400 (charged at local rate). 

Support is assessed on the income of the person or persons liable to pay council tax. If your income exceeds the amount the government says you need to live on, a deduction is made from the full amount of support available. A further reduction may be made in respect of other adults living with you. 
 
From 1 April 2019 the level of support for all working age claimants (18 to state retirement pension age) reduced by 8% to a maximum level of 92%.  Pensioners will continue to receive support up to 100% as that element of the scheme is set by the Government and will not change. 

• Click here to download our council tax support scheme 2022-2023 

This is available where there is only one person liable to pay the council tax and they share their home with another person or persons, on a non-commercial basis. 
 
The amount of second adult rebate granted is not linked to the income of the person liable to pay the council tax, but to the income of the other persons living with them. 
 
You cannot normally claim second adult rebate if you live with your partner. 

You may get second adult rebate if the person you share your home with is: 

• Not your partner or civil partner. 

• Aged 18 or over. 

• Not paying you rent. 

• Not paying council tax themselves. 

• On a low income. 

• You may be able to get second adult rebate even if you don't receive council tax support. 

• Use our online benefit calculator for an estimate of what you could claim. 

• Complete the online single person discount form.
• Request this form by calling the contact centre on 0345 600 6400 (charged at your local rate).

We will need: 

• A completed severely mentally impaired application form. 

• A doctor’s certificate. 

• Evidence of qualifying benefit. The General Medical Services Committee of the BMA has agreed medical certificates for this purpose should be issued free of charge to the applicant or his/her representative. 

We will need: 

• A completed carer’s application form and evidence of a qualifying benefit. 

• The person being cared for must be over 18. 

• You will not qualify for this discount if the person you care for is your spouse/partner or your own child under 18 years of age. 

• The annexe must form part of a single property which includes at least one other dwelling. For example, the annexe must be within the grounds of the main dwelling, but not necessarily attached to it, and: 

• Is being used by the resident of the main dwelling as part of their main home. 

         or 

• Is the main residence of a relative* of the council taxpayer living in the main dwelling 

* a relative is defined as: a partner, parent, child, step child, grandparent, grandchild, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, nephew, niece, great grandparent, great grandchild and other relationships as defined in the Council Tax (Reductions for Annexes) (England) Regulations 2013.  
 
The 50% reduction is in addition to any other discount that the council tax payer or their relative may be entitled to. For example, if an adult son is living in the annexe on his own he will be liable to pay the council tax on the annexe and will be entitled to a 25% single person discount, plus a 50% annexe reduction on the remaining liability. 

• name
• address
• confirmation that they fulfil criteria
• relationship of person in annexe
• dates from which discount to apply