Council Tax Reduction for Carers in Hounslow

Carers Get 90% Support — Regardless of Earnings

Hounslow's working-age Council Tax Reduction scheme gives carers the most generous fixed award available. If you or your partner receives Carer's Allowance or the Carer Element of Universal Credit, the council bypasses the standard five-band income calculation entirely and awards 90% support. You pay just 10% of your council tax bill, no matter what you earn.

That's more than the maximum 75% that other working-age residents can receive. It's one of Hounslow's structural protections, built into the scheme design to recognise that carers often can't increase their working hours even when they want to.

Who Qualifies

Two routes trigger the 90% carer award:

1. Carer's Allowance — you receive Carer's Allowance, and the person you care for must receive a qualifying disability benefit.
2. UC Carer Element — you're on Universal Credit and receive the carer element within your award, confirming you provide at least 35 hours of care weekly.

Either you or your partner holding one of these qualifies the entire household. You don't both need to be carers.

The Carer Disregard — A Separate Benefit

There's a related but different council tax relief called the carer disregard, and the two are often confused. The carer disregard applies when you provide 35+ hours of care per week for a severely disabled person who lives at the same address — but is not your spouse, partner, or child under 18. Under this disregard, you're "invisible" for council tax purposes, which can trigger a 25% Single Person Discount for the household.

The carer disregard and the 90% Council Tax Reduction can apply simultaneously if you meet both sets of conditions.

What 90% Looks Like on Your Bill

On a Band D property in Hounslow (£2,090.36 annually in 2025/26), 90% support means the council covers £1,881.32 of the bill. Your share is £209.04 for the year — roughly £17.42 per month. If a Single Person Discount also applies, the monthly figure drops further to about £13.07.

When Caring Ends

If you stop receiving Carer's Allowance or the UC Carer Element — because the person you care for no longer gets a qualifying benefit, or your caring hours drop — you lose the 90% protection and revert to the standard income-banded assessment. Report the change within 21 days. The council will recalculate your award based on your earned income band from that point.

Our Hounslow Council Tax Reduction guide explains every carer scenario, including how to apply, what evidence the council needs, and how the 90% award interacts with other discounts.

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