You may be entitled to discounts on your council tax bill, or may not have to pay council tax, depending on your circumstances.
Sole Occupier discount
You are entitled to a discount of 25% if only one adult lives in your property. A 25% discount may also apply even if more than one adult is resident.
Log in to your Online Services account to apply for Sole Occupier Discount if you live alone.
No Online Services account? Complete this form to apply for a Sole Occupier Discount.
No longer eligible for Sole Occupier Discount because another adult is now living in your home? Cancel your Sole Occupier Discount online.
No Online Services account? Complete this form to cancel your Sole Occupier Discount.
If this person has moved from a Knowsley address to your home, they will also need to notify us of their change of circumstances.
Miscellaneous Student Disregard
You are allowed to apply for one of these disregards if you are any of the following:
- Full-time student
- Student nurse
- Apprentice
- Youth-training trainee
- Aged 18 or 19 years old and still at school
- Aged 18 or 19 years old and have just left school
You can apply for these disregards online:
Eligibility for discounts and exemptions
Certain people can be disregarded for council tax purposes. These are:
- Full-time students, student nurses, apprentices, youth-training trainees and 18 and 19 year olds who are at, or have just left school - you can apply online for these disregards.
- Patients living in hospital
- People looked after in care homes
- People who are severely mentally impaired
- People staying in certain hostels or night shelters
- Care workers working for low pay, usually for charities
- People caring for someone with a disability who is not a husband or wife, partner or child under 18-years-old - apply online for the Carers Disregard
- Members of visiting forces and certain international institutions
- Foreign diplomats and certain members of international organisations
- Members of religious communities (for example monks and nuns)
- People in prison (except those in prison for not paying their council tax or a fine) - apply online for the Persons in Detention Disregard
Annexes
From 1 April 2014, a 50% reduction is available in the amount of council tax payable for people living in annexes (which are separately assessed and appear in the valuation list for council tax separately from the main dwelling) provided they are related to the person liable to pay the council tax of the main dwelling (or the person who would be so liable were it not for an exemption or 100% discount or reduction) and for people living in dwellings with annexes which are unoccupied provided they are using those annexes as part of their main residence.
Empty properties and second homes
- For unoccupied and unfurnished properties, a discount of 100% is available for one calendar month from the date that the property first became unoccupied and unfurnished. After this date, the full Council Tax charge becomes due
- Properties that require major repairs will be charged at the full Council Tax level from the date they become vacant.
- Properties which have been unoccupied and unfurnished in excess of two years will be subject to an additional premium charge of 100%. Properties which have been unoccupied and unfurnished for more than 5 years will be subject to a premium charge of 200%. Properties which have been unoccupied and unfurnished for more than 10 years will be subject to a premium charge of 300%.
You must notify us within 21 days if you believe that the premium charge does not apply.
Certain second homes are eligible for a 50% reduction on their Council Tax bill:
- The council tax payer lives elsewhere in job-related accommodation specified by the terms and conditions of their contract, for example: caretakers, ministers of religion or members of the armed forces. This does not apply to second homes that are rented because they are convenient for work.
- Homes that are pitches or moorings occupied by caravans or boats
- A planning restriction means you’re unable to occupy the property for at least 28 continuous days a year
Please contact us via online chat if you think you may qualify for any of these discounts.
Living with people with disabilities
You may be entitled to pay less council tax if someone who lives in your home is disabled and and the property has certain facilities to specifically meet their needs. These are:
- a room other than a bathroom, kitchen or lavatory which is predominantly required for meeting the needs of the disabled person, or
- an additional kitchen or bathroom which is required for meeting the needs of the disabled person, or
- sufficient floor to use a wheelchair indoors, and the disabled person needs the use of a wheelchair within the dwelling
If eligible, you will be charged at one band lower than the official banding for your property. Call us on 0151 443 4476 for more guidance on Council Tax reduction for people living with a disabled person.
Properties exempt from paying council tax
You may be exempt from paying council tax if your property is:
- Class B Owned by a charity, vacant and was last occupied by a charity (exempt for up to six months)
- Class D Vacant because the liable person is in prison
- Class E Vacant because the liable person is a permanent patient in a hospital or a care home
- Class F Vacant because the liable person has died and probate or letters of administration have not yet been granted. Exempt for up to six months after probate or letters of administration granted
- Class G Vacant because nobody is allowed to live there by law
- Class H Held vacant for occupation by a minister of religion
- Class I Vacant because the liable person is receiving care elsewhere (but not in a residential care home which would come under class E)
- Class J Vacant because the liable person is caring for someone elsewhere
- Class K Vacant because the liable person is a student living elsewhere to study
- Class L Vacant because it has been repossessed
- Class M A hall of residence for students
- Class N Lived in only by students
- Class O Owned by the Ministry of Defence and lived in only by members of the armed services
- Class P Lived in only by visiting service personnel
- Class Q Left vacant by a bankruptcy trustee
- Class R An empty caravan pitch or a boat mooring
- Class S Lived in only by people who are under 18-years-old
- Class T A vacant part of another property and may not be let separately due to planning restrictions
- Class U Lived in only by people who are severely mentally impaired
- Class V Lived in by at least one foreign diplomat or specified member of an international organisation
- Class W Part of a property is lived in separately (as a self-contained flat or house) by a dependent elderly or disabled relative of the family
Council Tax - discretionary relief
Under Section 13A of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 (as inserted by Section 76 of the Local Government Act 2003), the council has the power to reduce liability for council tax in relation to individual cases or class(es) of cases that it may determine and where national discounts and exemptions cannot be applied.
Other discount and exemption forms you can download
If you need these forms in another format, please use our online chat.
Change of address?
If you have recently moved house and need to let us know about a change of address, you can do this via our online services.
Set up a Direct Debit
You can set up a direct debit online
Please contact us via online chat if you need any help.
Further information
Appealing against reductions decisions
You can appeal if you don’t agree with a decision about your entitlement to a council tax discount or exemption or the amount your bill has been reduced by. In the first instance this appeal should be made in writing to the council tax office at:
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
Municipal Buildings
Archway Road
Huyton
L36 9YU
Should the matter not be resolved to your satisfaction there is a further right of appeal to the valuation tribunal service.