Second Adult Rebate

Second Adult Rebate is a reduction in Council Tax for single people of Pension Credit-age who share their property with one or more other adults who are not their partner and who are on a low income. You don’t have to be on a low income yourself to get Second Adult Rebate.

The information here only applies to Second Adult Rebate in Cheshire East. Rules about Second Adult Rebate can vary between councils. Not all councils offer Second Adult Rebate.

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How to apply for Second Adult Rebate

To apply for Second Adult Rebate, you need to claim benefit online.

What happens after you apply

Once we have all the information we need, we will let you know our decision either by email or post within 10 working days. If your claim is successful, you will get a revised Council Tax bill showing the lower payments due. You will be able to see the new bill as soon as we issue it if you have an online account.

We normally apply the reduction to your bill from the Monday after we get the form, unless we agree to backdate the claim. If you pay your Council Tax by direct debit, we will take the revised amount automatically after giving you 14 days notice of the new instalment amount.

You must tell us if anything changes that might affect your claim.

There is a process you can follow if you disagree with our decision.

Who can claim Second Adult Rebate

In Cheshire East, you can claim Second Adult Rebate if all of the following apply:

  • you have reached  Pension Credit age
  • you are the only person in your household who is liable for Council Tax
  • you aren’t getting  Council Tax Support
  • the other adult isn’t your married or unmarried partner (if you are living with a partner, see  Council Tax reductions for reductions you might be able to claim)
  • the other adult(s) you live with are on a low income

How much Second Adult Rebate you might get

The amount of rebate is based on the gross income (income before tax and national insurance) of the other adults in your home. It doesn’t matter how much they have in savings.

If the other adult(s) in your household is on Income Support, Income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income-based Employment and Support Allowance, Universal Credit or Pension Credit, you can get a 25% reduction in your Council Tax bill.

If the gross income of the other adult(s) in your household is less than £265.00 per week, then you can get a 15% reduction in your Council Tax bill.

If the gross income of the other adult(s) in your household is between £265.00 and £344.00 per week, then you can get a 7.5% reduction in your Council Tax bill.

Backdating Second Adult Rebate claims

We will look at the information you give us and may backdate your claim for up to three months depending on your circumstances.

Further information, help and support

For details of organisations who can give you advice about money matters and help you apply for benefits, see  Live Well money matters.

If you require any further information – contact the benefits team.

Page last reviewed: 08 March 2024