Help with Council Tax

What is Council Tax?

Council Tax is a property-based tax charged on homes including flats, houses, houseboats and mobile homes. Each property receives one Council Tax bill. The person, or people, living in the property are usually liable to pay the Council Tax bill.

How much does Council Tax cost?

The amount of Council Tax payable per home depends on the Council Tax Band of your property and the charges in the area where you live. The Band of your home is based on how much it would have been worth in 1991. Local councils set a charge for Band D properties each year. The charges for the other bands are worked out as a proportion of the charges for Band D.

Can I get help paying Council Tax?

In certain situations, you may not need to pay the full amount of Council Tax, or sometimes any at all. If these situations apply to you, you will need to make an application to your local council for a Council Tax reduction, discount or exemption. This guide explains some of these situations in more detail and what kind of help you could get.

For some types of help, you may need to provide evidence of your income and savings, those of your partner if you have one, and of any other adults who live with you. For others, you may need to provide medical or other evidence. 

You can check for any Council Tax help you may be entitled to using the Citizens Advice Scotland Check My Council Tax tool.

Benefit Workshops

The benefits system is complicated. It can be difficult to work out what you are entitled to, and how to claim it. Find out more about joining one of our Benefit Workshops here.