Council Tax bills always assume that there are two adults living in the household. This is why the Council Tax Unit gives a 25% discount if there is only one adult resident in the property.

If the second adult living in your property is on a low income, you can claim Second Adult Rebate. This pays Benefit to a maximum of 25% of the Council Tax bill. This is the same as the discount you would get on your bill if he or she did not live with you.

The amount of Second Adult Rebate that you will receive is dependent on the second adult's income. Your income and savings are not relevant.

However:

• if you make a claim for Council Tax Benefit in your own right, and
• you also have a second adult in your property who qualifies for Second Adult Rebate

We will automatically pay the one which will give you the most Benefit.

Like Council Tax Benefit, we always pay Second Adult Rebate directly into your Council Tax account. The amount we pay assumes that you will be entitled to Second Adult Rebate at the same rate for the full financial year.

If you stop being entitled to Second Adult Rebate or the second adult's income increases, we will normally take back the Benefit we have paid you for the remainder of the financial year. We will do this either in part or fully from the Monday following the date that your circumstances changed.

Second Adult Rebate for Student Households

A property is exempt from Council Tax where everyone living in that property is a full-time student.  Full-time students are not eligible for social security benefits unless they fall into one of a number of prescribed vulnerable groups.  However, if a non-student moves in, the property is no longer exempt and the householder becomes liable for Council Tax.

The householder is not eligible for Council Tax Support but can claim Second Adult Rebate.

When counting the number of residents in a property for Council Tax discount purposes, full-time students are disregarded.  This means that only the non-student is classed as resident and the property qualifies for a 25% single person discount. However, the student householder will still be liable for 75% of the Council Tax bill. 

If the householder is a student and apart from other full-time students the other persons in the house are in receipt of Income Support, Pension Credit or an income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, then they can claim Second Adult Rebate for up to 100% of the Council Tax charge.

You can enquire about any aspect of claiming Council Tax or Housing Benefits online