Bolton Council Tax Single Person Discount — How to Apply and Who Counts

How the 25% Discount Works

If you're the only adult counted for council tax purposes living in your property, Bolton Council gives you a 25% reduction on your bill. For a non-parish Band A property in 2026/27, that cuts the annual charge from £1,594.87 to £1,196.15 — a saving of £398.72.

This is a statutory discount, not a means-tested benefit. Your income and savings don't matter. You could earn £100,000 a year and still qualify, as long as you're the sole counted adult in the property.

Who Counts as "Disregarded"

You don't literally need to live alone. Certain people are disregarded for council tax purposes, meaning they're not counted as a second adult even though they live with you:

• Full-time students (for council tax purposes, generally on a course lasting at least one academic or calendar year, requiring attendance for at least 24 weeks a year and at least 21 hours of study per week during term time)
• People certified as severely mentally impaired (with a GP certificate and qualifying benefit)
• Care leavers aged 18 to 25
• Carers providing care for at least 35 hours a week to someone who isn't their spouse or partner and isn't a child under 18 (the cared-for person must receive the higher or middle rate of DLA care, the daily living component of PIP, or Attendance Allowance)
• People in detention (hospital or prison)
• Diplomats and certain international organisation staff

If you live with one adult who falls into a disregarded category, you're treated as living alone and qualify for the 25% discount. If you live with two or more people and all but one (including you) are disregarded, you also qualify.

How SPD Interacts With Council Tax Reduction

The single person discount is applied before Council Tax Reduction is calculated. Bolton works out your CTR award against your reduced liability after the SPD, not the full band charge.

For a working-age claimant on the lowest income in a Band A non-parish property:

1. Band A charge: £1,594.87
2. After 25% SPD: £1,196.15
3. Maximum CTR (82.5%): £986.82
4. Remaining 17.5% minimum: £209.33 per year (about £20.93 on 10-month instalments)

Without the SPD, the 17.5% minimum would be £279.10. The discount makes a real difference to what you actually pay even after CTR is applied.

How to Apply

Contact Bolton Council to declare that you're the only counted adult in your property. You can do this through the bolton.gov.uk portal or by calling Revenues on 01204 331599.

Bolton Council may review single person discount claims. If your circumstances change — a partner moves in, a student graduates and stays, a disregarded person's status changes — tell the council promptly. If you also receive Council Tax Reduction, relevant changes must be reported within 21 days, or as soon as reasonably practicable after that if later.

Failing to report a change can result in the discount being removed and an amended bill for the period your circumstances changed.

If you're claiming both the single person discount and Council Tax Reduction, the Bolton Council Tax Reduction guide explains how the two interact in the full entitlement calculation and covers other statutory discounts — disabled band reduction, SMI exemption, care leaver discount — that further reduce your base liability before CTR is assessed.

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