Council Tax relief
Surrey County Council have set up a scheme which offers up to 100% Council Tax discounts to Surrey care leavers, living within the county and aged between 18 and 24 (until the day before their 25th birthday).
The discount is offered to care leavers who live in the Waverley area from 1 April 2021.
Who is eligible?
All Surrey care leavers aged 18 and up to the day before their 25th birthday.
A care leaver is someone who:
- Has been looked after for at least 13 weeks since the age of 14
- Was in care on their 16th birthday
- Surrey County Council looked after up to the point they left care.
Care leavers who are employed are also eligible for the discount, regardless of their salary.
Care leavers living in county are eligible for 100% discount and care leavers living out of county are eligible for a 75% discount. This is because we have worked with our borough council and police partners in Surrey.
If there are other adults living with you but who are not care leavers then they will still have to pay (some) Council Tax at the property. This is different if you live in or out of Surrey, so please check the guidance for more information and speak with your personal advisor (PA).
This scheme became effective in Waverley on 1 April 2021 and has been revised in 2023 to include care leavers who are currently closed to the service. No backdated Council Tax applications can be made under this scheme.
How to apply for the discount
You can apply online through the Waverley Portal.
Register on the OPENPortal
To register, you will need the following information:
- your Council Tax reference number - found on your latest bill
- your full name as it appears on your Council Tax bill
- if you have applied for Council Tax Support or have been named on a council tax support application, you will also need to provide your national insurance number. This provides an additional level of security.
Once you have registered and logged in, you will find the link to 'Apply or cancel disregard' on the right of the page, under 'Quick links'.
Sign in or register for the OPENPortal
How to contact us if you can't access the portal