Single Person Discount
The normal Council Tax charge for a property is made on the basis that there are at least two adults (people aged 18 or over) living in the property.
Where there is only one adult we give a 'single person discount' of 25%. Apply now for a single person discount (.pdf, 162KB)
We also ignore or 'disregard' certain people when we count how many adults live in the property. This means you can sometimes get a discount even if there are two or more adults.
People that are not counted (disregarded) for Council Tax
Certain people can be 'disregarded' for Council Tax purposes. This means we do not count them when we are working out how many adults live in the property. If the number of adults counted is one, a discount of 25% is allowed. If no adults count, a discount of 50% is allowed.
The following list shows the people that can be disregarded. These forms will give you the information you need to apply for a person to be disregarded.
Examples
The following examples show how 'discount disregards' works.
- Two adults living in a property: One adult qualifies as a student. Number of people counted = 1 Discount allowed is 25%.
- Three adults living in a property: One adult is severely mentally impaired the other two adults qualify as carers. Number of people counted = 0 Discount allowed is 50%.
- Three adults living in a property: One adult is a recent school leaver Number of people counted = 2 No discount allowed.
| Number of Adults Counted |
Amount of Discount |
| 2 or more |
0 |
| 1 |
25% |
| 0 |
50% |
Long Term Empty Properties and Second Homes
From the 1 April 2013 the Government is encouraging councils to raise more income from Council Tax by allowing discretion over the level of discounts and exemptions given for empty and unoccupied residential dwellings. From 1 April 2013 Wigan Council will be making the following changes:
Long Term Empty Properties
The 50% 'long term empty property' discount will continue to apply until 31 March 2013 for dwellings that have been empty for 6 months or more. From 1 April 2013 dwellings left empty and unfurnished for longer than 6 months, or that have already been empty for between 6 months and 2 years, will be charged 100% Council Tax.
Empty Homes Premium
From 1 April 2013 'Long term empty properties' that remain empty and unfurnished for longer than 2 years, or have already been empty for longer than 2 years, will attract an Empty Homes Premium. The premium will be an extra 50% charge in addition to the new 100% charge for a 'long term empty property'.
Second Homes
The 10% Second Homes discount will continue to apply until 31 March 2013 for dwellings that are unoccupied and furnished. From 1 April 2013 the 10% discount will be removed completely and the Council Tax charge for a Second Home will be 100%.
If your property becomes empty, contact us straight away and we can tell you if you qualify for any reduction.
