Council Tax discounts
Details of the different Council Tax discounts available and the eligibility criteria for each type.
Discounts are granted based on existing Council Tax records and will be shown on the front of your bill.
Single Person Discount
If your property is your sole or main residence and you are the only occupant living at the property, who is over 18 years of age, then you could be eligible for a 25% single person discount.
Apply for Single Person Discount
Use our online form to apply to Lewes District or Eastbourne Borough Council for a single person discount:
Properties undergoing structural alteration or repair (Prescribed Class D)
If your property is undergoing (or requires) extensive structural alteration or major repair, which renders the property uninhabitable, you may be entitled to a 50% discount for a period of up to twelve months, or six months after work has been completed, whichever is sooner. This discount only applies to properties that are empty and unfurnished.
If you would like to apply for a discount, please contact us.
Properties that are empty and unfurnished (Prescribed Class C)
If your property in Eastbourne is empty and unfurnished, you may receive a 100% discount (which means you have no Council Tax to pay) for up to one calendar month. The discount relates to the property (not the liable party) so it may not be available if the property has been empty for some time.
When the discount expires, full Council Tax will be charged for an empty property. The discount does not become available again until the property has been reoccupied for a period of at least six weeks.
Following a public consultation, Lewes Full Council agreed a proposal to stop granting a 100% Council Tax discount when a property is left empty and unfurnished. The change came into effect from 1 April 2020.
The Council Tax charge will increase to 150% for properties that have been empty and unfurnished for two or more years. This is called the long term empty property premium. The aim of the premium is to reduce the number of long term empty properties in our area, providing more homes for local people.
If you would like to apply for a discount, please contact us.
Second homes
There are no discounts for second homes in our area and you will be required to pay a full Council Tax charge for your second homes.
However, if you live in, and pay Council Tax for a property which your employer requires you to live in (as per your contract of employment) you may be able to claim a 50% discount if you are liable for Council Tax on a second furnished property.
If you would like to apply for a discount, please contact us.
Disabled band reduction
We may be able to grant you a reduction on your Council Tax if a resident (adult or child) at the property has a disability.
If there's an extra room in your home with certain features essential to a resident with disabilities, or the use of a wheelchair is required indoors then you may qualify for a reduction.
The discount will be a band reduction on your Council Tax. This means that your property will be treated as though it was in the next lower valuation band.
If you would like to apply for a discount, please contact us.
Annexe discount
A discount of 50% applies to annexes which are occupied by a close relative (under the age of 65) of the person liable to pay the Council Tax of the main property, or, unoccupied as the person living in the main property is using the annexe as part of the main home.
If you would like to apply for a discount, please contact us.
Discretionary reductions
The Council Tax regulations provide the council with additional discretionary powers. These allow us to reduce the Council Tax liability where statutory discounts, exemptions and reductions do not apply. You can download our Council Tax discretionary discount policy below:
Council Tax Discretionary Reduction in Liability Policy
(PDF)
[347KB]
Other discounts
The following people (this may include the person liable for payment) may be ignored (disregarded) when counting the number of adults living in the property if they meet the relevant criteria:
- full-time students, student nurses, foreign language assistants and apprentices
- patients resident in a hospital
- people who are resident in a care home
- people who are severely mentally impaired
- people staying in certain hostels or night shelters
- school leavers under 20 who finish a full time course of education between 1st May and 31st October
- care workers working for low pay, usually for charities
- people caring for someone with a disability who is not a spouse, partner, or child under 18
- diplomats and members of visiting forces and certain international organisations
- members of religious communities
- people in prison (except those in prison for non-payment of council tax or a fine)
If you are the only person who is not disregarded in your property you may be eligible for a discount. If you would like to apply for a discount, please contact us.