Welcome To Wirral

Can I get a reduction if I am disabled?

You may be able to get your bill reduced if your home has certain features which are essential, or of major importance, to the well-being of a person with a disability. This person can be an adult or a child but must be resident in the property. See Disability Reduction on-line application form in the related links section.

The features are:

• A room other than a bathroom, kitchen or toilet which is used mainly by the person with the disability. For example, you might get a reduction if you have an extension or extra room for storing dialysis equipment, or a bedroom on the ground floor in a property with two or more floors.
• An additional bathroom or kitchen for the use of the person with the disability.
• Extra space inside the property for the use of a wheelchair.

When considering whether a reduction should apply, the Council Tax Office has to decide whether the person with the disability would find it impossible or extremely difficult to live in the property, or their health would suffer, or the disability would become more severe, if that extra feature were not available. To qualify for the reduction, the extra room does not need to be specifically built for, but could be an existing room used specifically for, the person with the disability.

By how much is the bill reduced?

If you qualify for the reduction, there is a one-band reduction in your bill. If your home is eligible, your bill is reduced to the value of the Band immediately below your Band shown on the Valuation List. For example, if your home is in Band D, and you qualify for the reduction, your bill is reduced to that for a Band C property. This does not, however, affect the value of your home or its banding on the Valuation List. In this example, the property would still be shown as a Band D on the Valuation List.

If your home is in Band A and qualifies for a reduction the revised charge will be 5/9ths of the Band D charge and this means that people living in Band A to Band D will get the same reduction.

How does the Council know where the reductions should apply?

We have already tried to identify as many properties as we can, but if you think your home may qualify for the reduction you should write to us. We will send you an application form to fill in and return. We may ask for further information to support your claim, such as a letter from your doctor or social worker saying that the person with the disability needs the extra space or room. A representative will also call to inspect the property.

What can I do if the Council won't reduce the bill?

See Council Tax Appeals in the related links section.