Give one-person households 50% council tax discount rather than 25%

We believe people living on their own are unfairly burdened by the high cost of council tax, as they only receive a 25% discount.

With the cost of living rising, the council tax bill can be a significant cost for households with only a single income.

Council tax contains both a property and a personal element. A full bill assumes that there are at least two adults living in a dwelling. Where there is only one liable adult resident in a property, the bill is reduced by 25% through the single persons council tax discount. This is effectively a 50% reduction in the personal element of the bill. The Government does not have any plans to change the level of the single person council tax discount.

The council tax system does however contain a range of discounts and exemptions to reflect personal circumstances. The Government has published a Plain English Guide to Council Tax setting out the support available in the system. Furthermore, every council is required to provide a Local Council Tax Support (LCTS) scheme. LCTS schemes provide a council tax reduction for low income households. Households may wish to contact their council directly to ask whether they are eligible for support with their council tax bill.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities