Council Tax reduction for people with a terminal illness

We can provide extra help with Council Tax for households affected by terminal illness. The reduction is available to help households affected by terminal illness. How much your Council Tax is reduced by will depend on your circumstances.

Who can apply

You may be able to get a reduction if:

• you are responsible for paying Council Tax for your home
• the property is your main home
• you or someone living with you has been diagnosed with a terminal illness
• you have a valid Special Rules (SR1) form completed by a medical professional
• you are eligible for Council Tax Support.

If you don't qualify for Council Tax Support

You may still be able to get a reduction.

If your income or savings are too high for you to qualify for Council Tax Support, we may still consider your application if you are experiencing financial hardship. We will look at your individual circumstances when we assess your application.

How much you could get

You could get up to 100% off the Council Tax for your main home. The amount will depend on your individual circumstances and our assessment of your application.

If your application is successful, we will apply the reduction directly to your Council Tax account.

What you need to apply

You will need:

• your Council Tax account details
• a valid Special Rules (SR1) form completed by a medical professional
• any other information we ask for to help us assess your application.

Special Rules (SR1) form

A Special Rules (SR1) form provides evidence that someone has a terminal illness and may have 12 months or less to live. It is completed by an appropriate medical professional.

How to apply

You can apply by email if you are:

• the person named on the Council Tax account
• applying on someone's behalf, with their signed consent.

In your email, include:

• the subject line: 'Application for Terminally Ill Council Tax reduction'
• your name
• contact details (if we need to contact you about your application
• Council Tax account details
• the completed Special Rules (SR1) form

When the reduction starts

This scheme starts on 1 October 2026. If your application is approved, we will normally apply the reduction from the date your SR1 form was issued. The reduction cannot start before 1 October 2026. How much your bill is reduced by will depend on your circumstances.

If the person with the terminal illness dies

If the person with the terminal illness dies, the reduction will not stop immediately. It will continue until the last day of the month that falls two months after the date they died.

About this reduction

This is a discretionary Council Tax reduction for households affected by terminal illness. We provide the reduction using our discretionary powers under Section 13A(1)(c) of the Local Government Finance Act 1992. We consider each application individually.