Hillingdon Single Person Council Tax Discount: How to Claim 25% Off

How the 25% Discount Works

If you're the only adult in your Hillingdon property, or the only adult who counts for council tax purposes, you get a statutory 25% reduction on your bill. For a Band D property in 2026/27, that takes the annual charge from £2,045.46 down to £1,534.10 — a saving of £511.37.

This is a national discount under the Local Government Finance Act 1992, not part of Hillingdon's local Council Tax Reduction scheme. It applies regardless of your income or savings, and there's no means test.

Who Counts as "Disregarded"

You don't need to live completely alone. Certain people who share your property are "disregarded" for council tax — they don't count as second adults. If everyone else in your home falls into a disregarded category, you qualify for the single person discount even though other people live there.

Disregarded residents include:

• Full-time students on qualifying courses that meet the course-length and study requirements (normally at least one academic year and 21 hours per week for 24 weeks in each year)
• People with a severe mental impairment who have a qualifying benefit (such as PIP daily living, Attendance Allowance, or DLA middle/high care)
• Live-in carers providing at least 35 hours of care per week to someone who receives higher-rate Attendance Allowance, middle- or higher-rate DLA care, or either-rate PIP daily living, other than a spouse or child under 18
• 18- and 19-year-olds in qualifying full-time education; under-20 school leavers who finish a course after 30 April may qualify until 1 November
• Members of visiting armed forces and certain international organisations
• Diplomats and their dependants

An adult child who is a full-time university student is disregarded, so a parent living alone with that child still qualifies for the 25% discount.

How to Apply in Hillingdon

Apply through Hillingdon Council's online council tax account. You'll need to declare the number of adults in the property and whether any qualify for disregard status. Evidence might include a student exemption certificate, a GP's confirmation letter for severe mental impairment, or proof of carer status.

The discount can be requested from the date you became the sole countable adult; contact Hillingdon and provide evidence for the period claimed. This is separate from local Council Tax Reduction, which has a one-month working-age backdating limit.

When the Discount Stops

If another non-disregarded adult moves in — a partner, a working-age relative, a friend — you lose the discount from the date they arrive. Report the change within 21 days through the council's Change of Circumstances form. Failing to report it creates an underpayment that Hillingdon will recoup by rebilling you for the difference.

Hillingdon Council periodically runs reviews of single person discount claims, sometimes using credit reference data to check how many adults appear to be registered at a property. If they find a discrepancy, they'll write to you asking for confirmation.

Stacking With Council Tax Reduction

The single person discount and Hillingdon's local Council Tax Reduction can apply to the same bill. The discount is calculated first, reducing your gross liability by 25%. Then the CTR percentage is applied to the reduced amount.

A single person in a Band B property gets the 25% discount first (£1,590.91 becomes £1,193.18 — or £22.94 per week). If they also qualify for Band 4 CTR at 55%, the reduction is calculated on £22.94, giving £12.62 per week in CTR. That leaves roughly £10.32 per week to pay.

If your income is low enough to qualify for Hillingdon's Council Tax Reduction, applying for both together maximises the discount. The step-by-step guide covers the income bands, the £6,000 savings cap, and how to navigate the application portal.

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