London Borough of Croydon

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The amount of council tax you have to pay depends on whether:

  • there is only one adult living in the property
  • there are more than two adults living in the property but all, or all but one, of these people belong to one of the 'disregarded' groups.

If you would like to claim a discount please click on the "Council Tax sole-occupier discount" link.

The sole occupier discount

The sole occupier discount is also called the single person discount. It is for properties where only one person lives and gives a reduction of 25%.

You can only get this discount if you live alone. You cannot get it if other people usually live with you but are away from home on a temporary basis. For example, you cannot get this discount for the times when the other residents are on holiday or are working away from home.

You cannot claim the sole occupier discount for a property that is your second home. There are different discounts for second homes.

Other discounts for occupied properties

There is usually no discount if two or more adults live in your home. However, certain people are not counted as an extra person when we count the number of residents. These people are termed 'disregarded'.

If there is only one adult living in the property after we have excluded the 'disregarded' people, you will be entitled to a discount of either 25% or 50%.

You will get a 25% discount if only one of the residents is 'counted' and the rest belong to one of the 'disregarded' groups below.

You will get a 50% discount if all of the residents belong to one of the disregarded groups below.

Who is disregarded?

The following people are 'disregarded', or 'not counted', when we calculate council tax discounts:

  • young people who are 18 years old, if child benefit is still in payment for them
  • 18- and 19-year-olds in further education
  • recent school or college leavers if they are under 20 years old
  • full-time students
  • some foreign national spouses and dependants of full-time students
  • foreign language assistants
  • apprentices
  • Youth Training trainees
  • people who are 'severely mentally impaired'
  • some carers
  • prisoners and other people held in detention
  • residents of nursing homes, care homes and some hostels
  • members of religious communities, for example, nuns and monks
  • patients living in hospital long term
  • members and their dependants of international headquarters and defence organizations such as NATO
  • members of visiting armed forces and their dependants
  • foreign diplomats.

Do I have to tell you if I am a 'disregarded' person or if someone living with me is a 'disregarded' person?

You need to tell us about the 'disregarded' persons living with you if:

  • you want to claim a discount
  • one of the people whose name is on the bill is a student or severely mentally impaired.

Do I have to pay council tax if I am a 'disregarded' person?

This 'disregard' is only for calculating council tax discounts. If the 'disregarded' person is the tenant or owner of the property then, in most cases, they will still be responsible for paying the council tax.

However, there are special rules for students and the severely mentally impaired. Please contact us to find out more.

Web survey

We are keen to learn your views about the council tax pages on our website.  Please click on the council tax web survey link on the right of this page if yo want to complete our quick, online survey.

Contact Details

Contact name
The Council Tax Section
Telephone
020 8726 7000
Fax
020 8667 8440
Out of hours
08459 400 160
Email
croyctax@croydon.gov.uk
Address
Council Tax
Municipal Offices, Fell Road, Croydon CR9 1BQ

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