Discounts and exemptions

Students

Discounts apply to full time students only. Full time study means a minimum of 21 hours per week and 24 weeks per year.

The following types of study may qualify you as a student:

• Open University students
• post Graduate students (12 months masters degree)
• a foreign student undertaking a full time course at a UK University but living and studying abroad in a Member State of the EU

Spouses or dependents of a student who is not a British citizen and their visa does not allow paid employment for claiming benefits will be exempt.

Examples of the discount you may receive

• if a household consists of two residents and one is a student, a 25% reduction is available
• if a household consists of three residents and one is a student, there is no discount
• if all residents at a property are full time students, the property is exempt.

Advice for students

Student halls of residence are exempt from council tax. If you live in a student hall of residence there is nothing to pay. You don't need to claim an exemption.

To qualify as a student hall of residence the building must be:

• owned or managed by a charity, or by an educational establishment that mainly provides further or higher education; or
• included in an agreement that allows an educational establishment to allocate the people who live there.

School leavers

If you're 18 or 19 years old and you stop going to school or finish a course at a special college after April 30th, you won't get a discount until the next November.

Child benefit

You may be eligible for a discount for 18 year olds for whom you receive child benefit.

Apprentices and youth trainees

To apply, you must be working towards an accredited qualification and paid less than £195 a week.