Council Tax

Second Adult Rebate

This is a reduction that can be claimed by Council Tax payers who are solely liable for Council Tax but do not get a single person discount because there are other adults living in the property who are on a low income and can’t help with the bill.

We do not look at the income and savings of the person who pays the Council Tax when working out Second Adult Rebate. This means that even if you are not eligible to claim Council Tax Reduction, for example because you have savings or capital with a value of over £16,000, you can still claim Second Adult Rebate. 

second adult is somebody over the age of 18 living in your home and not paying rent. A second adult can be:

  • Adult son or daughter
  • A relative
  • A friend
  • A certain type of carer 

A second adult cannot be:

  • A partner
  • A tenant/  or boarder
  • A joint tenant 

A second adult  cannot be a person normally disregarded for Council Tax purposes, for example:

  • Under the age of 18
  • A full time student
  • A person on a youth trainee scheme
  • An apprentice (with a weekly gross income of less than £195)
  • Severely mentally impaired
  • Certain types of carers
  • a student nurse
  • In prison or other forms of detention  

This is because you still may be able to get a discount if the person living with you falls into one of these categories.

Second Adult Rebate is calculated as a percentage of the Council Tax Charge (excluding Water and Sewerage charges) and dependent on the second adult's income or circumstances.

You can quickly check whether you are eligible for help by completing our Apply Once form.

Apply once