Wakefield Foster Carer Council Tax Discount

The 70% Foster Carer Discount

Wakefield Council offers registered foster carers a 70% discount on their Council Tax. This is a local discretionary discount under Section 13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 — the council chooses to provide it, and the terms are set locally.

To qualify, you must be a registered foster carer living within the Wakefield metropolitan district. The discount applies to your main home's council tax bill.

This is a substantial reduction. On a Band D property with a base charge of roughly £1,892 per year (2026/27 rates), a 70% discount brings the bill down to approximately £568. Lower bands see even smaller remaining bills — a Band A foster carer household might pay around £378 for the year.

How It Interacts with Council Tax Support

The foster carer discount and the working-age Council Tax Support scheme are both routes to reducing your bill, but they work differently. CTS is means-tested (based on your income and savings), while the foster carer discount is based purely on your foster carer status.

If you may qualify for both, ask the council to confirm how they will be applied to your account. The 70% foster carer discount is a separate local reduction from the means-tested CTS scheme.

Contact Wakefield Council's Revenues and Benefits team to confirm which scheme — or combination — applies to your situation. Do not infer how fostering payments affect CTS from their tax treatment alone; ask the council how your payments are assessed.

Foster Children and Non-Dependant Deductions

For the CTS deduction, the scheme identifies non-dependants as adults aged 18 or over. A foster child under 18 is below that threshold; if a foster child is 18 or older, ask the council how the rule applies to your case.

However, any other adult in your household who is not your partner (such as an adult biological child) can trigger the standard non-dependant deduction unless you or your partner are registered blind or receive a qualifying disability benefit (Attendance Allowance, DLA Care Component, or PIP Daily Living Component).

Applying for the Discount

Apply through Wakefield Council directly — this is not processed through the CTS online portal. Contact the Council Tax and Benefits Service on 0345 8 504 504 or use Wakefield's website. You'll need to provide proof of your registration as a foster carer with Wakefield Council.

If your fostering arrangement ends, you must notify the council — continuing to receive the discount after your registration lapses creates an excess reduction on your account that the council will recover.

For the full picture of Wakefield's council tax support options — including CTS income bands, the hardship fund, backdating rules, and how to appeal a decision — see the Wakefield Council Tax Reduction guide.

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