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A new online petition is calling for people on the State Pension to be exempt from paying Council Tax.(Image: PA)<\/p>\nA new online petition is calling for people on the State Pension to be exempt from paying Council Tax.<\/p>\n
11:05, 15 Sep 2025Updated 15:16, 15 Sep 2025<\/p>\n
A new online petition is calling for people on the State Pension to be exempt from paying Council Tax.(Image: PA)<\/p>\n
A new online petition<\/a> is urging the UK Government to pass a \u201claw which exempts all pensioners in Britain from paying Council Tax\u201d. Petition creator Michael Thompson argues that \u201ccurrent provisions only ensure that pensioners on the lowest incomes receive full relief\u201d while others with a modest income miss out on additional financial support.<\/p>\n The \u2018exempt all pensioners from Council Tax<\/a>\u2019 has been posted on the Petitions Parliament website and states: \u201cWe believe Council Tax is increasingly unaffordable. Many pensioners often rely on a fixed income and face growing living costs, which may exacerbate financial pressures while pensioners continue to struggle.<\/p>\n \u201cWe believe exempting all pensioners from Council Tax isn\u2019t just compassionate but is also fiscally responsible. We believe it could provide relief to a vulnerable demographic and help uphold public services by ensuring fairer funding models.\u201d<\/p>\n READ MORE: Check for Council Tax discount of up to \u00a3850 to help cut your monthly payments<\/a>READ MORE: Winter Fuel Payment qualifying begins for millions of people over State Pension age<\/a><\/p>\n At 10,000 signatures of support, the petition would be entitled to a written response from the UK Government. At 100,000, the Petitions Committee will consider it for debate in Parliament – read it in full here.<\/a><\/p>\n Help with Council Tax bills<\/p>\n The latest figures from the Scottish Government show that 458,320 households received a Council Tax Reduction (CTR) in July, amounting to an estimated \u00a38.2 million in weekly support.<\/p>\n The CTR scheme takes into account a household\u2019s income, savings, and personal circumstances, and is open to everyone, including those not receiving benefits. People can check their eligibility through mygov.scot <\/a>or by contacting their local council directly.<\/p>\n Entitlement depends on income, savings and other factors, such as whether there are children in the household, if anyone living there has a disability, or if the household receives certain state benefits.<\/p>\n These include:<\/strong><\/p>\n If you live with another adult who is not your partner, you may not receive the same level of CTR, as the other person is expected to contribute to the council tax bill.<\/p>\n Even those who do not receive benefits can apply if they are on a low income and have savings below \u00a316,000.<\/p>\n Check if you could be exempt from paying Council Tax<\/p>\n You will not pay Council Tax if:<\/strong><\/p>\n Contact your local authority about your eligibility and how you can apply for an exemption – a link to all 32 local authorities in Scotland is at the bottom of this page.<\/p>\n Could you be eligible for a discount on your Council Tax bill?<\/p>\n There are some circumstances where you may get a reduction on your Council Tax and the amount of discount varies depending on your circumstances.<\/p>\n If you live alone<\/p>\n The full Council Tax is calculated assuming there are two or more people living in each home \u2013 if you live alone, you should apply to your local council for a discount – you could get a 25 per cent reduction, regardless of your financial circumstances.<\/p>\n If you live with someone under 18 or a student<\/p>\n Council Tax is not calculated for anyone aged under 18, full-time students, student nurses and some apprentices or trainees.<\/p>\n If you are a carer<\/p>\n Carers who look after someone in the household for at least 35 hours per week and who meet additional criteria may be disregarded for Council Tax purposes, contact your local authority for their eligibility criteria.<\/p>\n Just be aware, this doesn\u2019t apply if the person receiving care is the partner of the carer, or is the carer\u2019s child aged under 18.<\/p>\n If there are major changes to the value of your home<\/p>\n You may be able to get your home moved to a lower band if it has decreased in value. For example, if you have made home adaptations for a disabled person, or if a motorway has been built nearby.<\/p>\n You may also get the band lowered if a room in the house is dedicated to equipment used by a disabled person on a daily basis.<\/p>\n If you change the way you pay<\/p>\n Although the total year\u2019s amount will stay the same, you can request your bill be split over 12 months instead of 10, so you can spread the cost and reduce your monthly outgoings.<\/p>\n Alternatively, if you can afford to pay the whole bill in one lump sum, check with your local council if you can get a discount.<\/p>\n Local councils<\/p>\n Contact your local council from the list below to apply for a Council Tax Reduction or discount.<\/p>\n Join the conversation on our Money Saving Scotland Facebook group<\/a> for money-saving tips, the latest State Pension and benefits news, energy bill advice and cost of living updates.<\/p>\n Sign up to our Record Money newsletter and get the top stories sent to your inbox daily from Monday to Friday with a special cost of living edition every Thursday – sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n You can also follow us on X<\/strong> (formerly Twitter) @Recordmoney_<\/a> for regular updates throughout the day or get money news alerts on your phone by joining our Daily Record Money WhatsApp community<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n
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