If you bill indicates that a Discount, Reduction or Exemption has been applied, you must tell the Council Tax Department of any changes in your circumstances which may affect your entitlement within 21 days. If you fail to do so, a penalty of £70 may be imposed.
Information on how to apply for Single Person Discount
A full Council Tax bill is based on at least two adults living in a home. Spouses and partners who live together are jointly responsible for paying the bill.
If only one adult, aged 18 or over, lives in a dwelling as their sole or main residence, the Council Tax bill will be reduced by 25%. This is called a Single Person Discount (SPD).
Temporary absences (such as a holiday, working away or in hospital) would not qualify for this reduction.
Applications for discounts will be verified and can be subject to periodic review. The Council may use third-party organisations to carry out such checks using financial and credit referencing information.
If your discount has recently been removed by our review, please visit our Single Person Discount Review page for information on how to reapply for your discount. You will not be able to reapply through this form.
If you have more than one home
Under Council Tax law, if you have only one address, that address is your 'sole or main residence'. Some people have more than one home or spend time away from the property.
If someone spends time in more than one home or spends a long period away because of work or extended holidays, we may need to decide where their sole or main residence is for Council Tax purposes. You cannot receive this discount on a second home.
We may ask you for more details about your relationships and lifestyle to determine your main home. We may also need to see supporting documentation to verify these circumstances. Some examples of what may be asked are:
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When are you physically living at each address?
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The reasons why you have two addresses.
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Where your partner or spouse lives, if you have one.
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Where do your dependent children live, if you have any?
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Your legal tie to each address.
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Where do you keep most of your belongings
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Whether you intend to return to one address eventually
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Whether there is anything that prevents you from returning to each property
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Which address is your most settled home?
How to apply
To apply for the discount, you will need to:
- Complete the single person discount application through our Online Council Tax Services.
- It can also be used to remove the discount if you are no longer entitled.
- If you need to upload additional evidence, this should be sent to us by email at counciltax@milton-keynes.gov.uk.
What happens next?
Once your application has been submitted, we will check to see if you are eligible for an exemption or discount. We may ask you for further information regarding your student status.
Once the discount or exemption has been applied you will receive an updated bill. If we are unable to apply the discount or exemption, we will contact you by email or post.
Applications for discounts will be verified and can be subject to periodic review. The Council may use third-party organisations to carry out such checks using financial and credit referencing information.