Discounts and exemptions

If only one adult (aged 18 or over) lives in a property, you can get a 25% discount on your Council Tax.

You may qualify if:

• you live alone
• you live with people under 18
• other adults in your home are not counted for Council Tax.

If no one in the home counts, you may be eligible to up to a 50% discount.

How to apply

You’ll need:

• the date you started living alone
• your council tax account number.

Apply for single person discount

Adults who are not counted for Council Tax

Some adults are not counted when calculating Council Tax.

People who are not counted include:

• full-time students and student nurses
• people aged 18+ who still receive child benefit
• apprentices earning under £195/week
• carers providing 35+ hours of care (not for a partner or child under 18)
• members of visiting armed forces or international defence organisations
• foreign language assistants registered with the British Council
• members of religious communities
• partners of students who are not British and can’t work or claim benefits
• diplomats
• people under the Homes for Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme
• people in hospital or care homes (long-term)
• people who are severely mentally impaired (with medical proof)
• hostel or night shelter residents
• people in prison or detention.

Changes in your circumstances

If you get a single person discount, you must tell us within 21 days if your situation changes.

You could be fined £70 if you don’t.

Examples of changes:

• Another adult moves in
• Someone in your home turns 18
• Someone is no longer disregarded.

Cancel your single person discount

Receiving benefits?

You may also be eligible for Council Tax Reduction.

Apply for Council Tax Reduction

If someone moves in or out of your home, let us know about the change in household.

Norwich City Council does not offer a discount for empty properties.

Instead, extra charges apply if a property is:

• empty and unfurnished (long-term empty premium)
• empty and furnished (second home premium).

Long-term empty premium

If your property is unfurnished and unoccupied, you’ll pay extra on top of your normal Council Tax:

• 100% extra after 12 months
• 200% extra after 5 years
• 300% extra after 10 years

Second home premium

From 1 April 2025, if your property is furnished but no one lives there, you’ll be charged a 100% premium immediately.

Are you eligible for an exception?

You may be exempt from the premium if:

For both long-term empty and second homes:

• you live elsewhere in armed forces accommodation
• the property is an annexe to a main home
• it’s for sale or rent (up to 12 months)
• probate has been granted recently (up to 12 months).

Second homes only:

• you live elsewhere in a job-related home
• it’s a caravan pitch or boat mooring
• it’s a seasonal home with restrictions on year-round use.

Claim exception from the second home premium

Long-term empty only:

• the property needs or is undergoing major repairs or structural work (up to 12 months).

Claim exception from the long-term empty property premium

View our full premium policy

If you’re a care leaver aged 18 to 25, you may not have to pay full Council Tax.

Who can get this discount?

You may qualify if:

• you’re a care leaver living on your own
• you live only with other care leavers
• you live with one other adult.

How much is the discount?

• 100% discount if you live alone or only with other care leavers
• 25% discount if you live with one other adult.

The discount is applied after any other discounts or reductions.

How long does it last?

From your 18th birthday until the day before your 25th birthday.

How to apply

You can apply by email to revenues@norwich.gov.uk. 

We may already have the information we need, but if not, we’ll ask you for more details.

Change in circumstances

If your situation changes (e.g. someone moves in), you must tell us within 21 days.

If you don’t, you could be fined £70.

This discount is part of Norwich’s Local Council Tax Discounts Policy and started on 1 April 2018.

You may get a Council Tax Reduction if someone in your home has a disability and your property has:

• enough space for a wheelchair to be used indoors
• a room used specifically for the disabled person’s needs
• an extra kitchen or bathroom for their use

How to apply

To find out more or to apply, please contact us.

Email: revenues@norwich.gov.uk

Keep your single person discount when hosting a refugee

If you normally get the 25% single person discount, you can keep it for 3 months if you take in a refugee.

Who can get this discount?

You may qualify if:

• you live alone and get the single person discount
• you take in a refugee, which would normally end your discount.

If your situation changes...

You must tell us within 21 days if your situation changes — for example:

• another adult moves in
• the refugee moves out.

This discount started on 1 April 2019 and is part of the Local Council Tax Discounts Policy.

How to apply

You can apply by email to revenues@norwich.gov.uk or post to:

Revenues, City Hall, St Peters Street, Norwich, NR2 1NH.

We may already have the information we need, but if not, we’ll ask you for more details.

Once approved, we’ll send you an updated bill showing the discount.

If you’ve had to leave your home due to domestic abuse, you may not have to pay Council Tax on your main home, even if you become responsible for council tax at a new address.

Who can get this discount?

You may qualify if:

• you’ve left your main home to escape the fear of violence
• you are now responsible for council tax at your new address.

This discount applies even if there’s already a discount on your original home.

This scheme started on 1 April 2018 and is part of the Local Council Tax Discounts Policy.

How to apply

You can apply by email to revenues@norwich.gov.uk or post to:

Revenues, City Hall, St Peters Street, Norwich, NR2 1NH.

We may already have the information we need, but if not, we’ll ask you for more details.

Once approved, we’ll send you an updated bill showing the discount.

If your situation changes...

If your situation changes, you must tell us within 21 days.

If you don’t, you could be fined £70.

Some properties may be exempt from paying Council Tax if all residents are full-time students.

To qualify:

• Everyone living in the property must be a full-time student.
• You must provide proof of your student status (your college or university will not send this automatically).

Apply for a student discount or exemption

Or contact us via email at revenues@norwich.gov.uk or post at:

Revenues, City Hall, St Peters Street, Norwich, NR2 1NH

You may not have to pay Council Tax if:

• Everyone living in the property is under 18.
• Someone in the home has a severe mental impairment.

Apply for a discount or exemption

Or contact us via email at revenues@norwich.gov.uk or post at:

Revenues, City Hall, St Peters Street, Norwich, NR2 1NH