Quick answer: If money’s tight, Glasgow can knock anywhere from 25% to 100% off your council tax. Low earners, pensioners and people on benefits can claim Council Tax Reduction (up to 100% off). Anyone living alone gets 25% off with the single person discount. Students, carers, apprentices and people with a severe mental impairment are “disregarded”, and a home adapted for a disabled person drops a band. Most of it you have to apply for, it’s rarely automatic, so it’s worth ten minutes of your time.
Glasgow’s 2026/27 bills went up 5.9%, so a Band D household now pays £1,706 in council tax, or £2,358 once Scottish Water charges are added on top. That’s real money, and a fair number of folk are paying the full whack when they don’t need to. Here’s every way to bring it down, who qualifies, and how to apply. For the bands themselves and what each property pays, see our Glasgow council tax explained guide.
Council Tax Reduction (the low income one)
This is the big one and the most misunderstood. Council Tax Reduction (CTR) is help with your bill if you’re on a low income, whether you’re working, unemployed, retired or on benefits. It can wipe out up to 100% of the council tax part of your bill. It’s a means-tested scheme run by the Scottish Government, not a benefit you “use up”, so don’t be put off.
The basics of who can apply:
- You’re named on the council tax bill and actually live there.
- Your savings are under £16,000, unless you get Guarantee Pension Credit, in which case the savings limit doesn’t bite.
- Your income and household circumstances are taken into account. The lower your income, the more help you get.
A few things people don’t realise. Pensioners are assessed under more generous rules than working-age folk. And if you don’t qualify yourself but another adult who isn’t your partner lives with you on a low income, you might get a Second Adult Rebate instead. Either way, get the application in, the council works out which gives you more.
Important: CTR only reduces the council tax element, not the Scottish Water and waste charges, which still have to be paid. If you’re struggling generally, our cost of living in Glasgow guide rounds up the other support out there.
Single person discount: 25% off
If you’re the only adult living in the property, you get 25% off your bill. Simple as that. It’s not automatic though, you have to tell the council you live alone. Plenty of people forget when a partner or flatmate moves out and quietly overpay for years.
You can apply through the Single Person Discount form on the council website. Be straight about it, the council does check, and if your circumstances change (someone moves in) you need to tell them or you’ll end up owing money back.
Disregarded people: who doesn’t count
Some adults are “disregarded”, meaning they’re ignored when the council counts heads. If everyone in the house is disregarded, the property may be exempt entirely. If one adult is left counting, you still get the 25% discount. The main disregarded groups:
- Full-time students, on a course of at least one year, normally 21+ hours a week. An all-student flat is exempt from council tax. Handy to know if you’re renting in Glasgow in a shared student let.
- Severe mental impairment (SMI), someone with a permanent severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning (dementia, severe stroke, severe learning disability), certified by a doctor and getting a qualifying benefit like PIP or Attendance Allowance. Live alone with SMI and you’re exempt; live with one other adult and it’s 25% off.
- Carers, providing at least 35 hours a week of care to someone in the same home. The carer can’t be the cared-for person’s spouse or partner, and can’t be a parent caring for their own child under 18.
- Apprentices on a low wage and working towards a recognised qualification.
- Care leavers under 26 and school/college leavers under 20 who’ve recently finished a qualifying course.
Disabled band reduction
If your home has been adapted for a disabled person, you can get the Disabled Person’s Reduction, which charges you at the band below your actual band. So a Band D home is billed at Band C rates. If you’re already in Band A, the lowest, you pay five-ninths of the Band A rate instead.
To qualify, the property needs at least one of these because of the disability:
- An extra kitchen or bathroom needed by the disabled person.
- A room (other than a bathroom, kitchen or toilet) needed and mainly used by them.
- Enough indoor space for them to use a wheelchair.
You’ll need supporting evidence, often a letter from an occupational therapist, social worker or carer. This one stacks with other discounts, so a disabled person living alone could get the band reduction and the single person discount.
Empty and second homes (the expensive end)
This goes the other way. From 1 April 2026, Scottish councils can charge well above the old 100% cap, and Glasgow has gone hard on it. Owners of long-term empty homes (empty 12 months or more) and second homes now pay 300% of the standard charge, that’s the normal bill plus a 200% premium. The aim is to push empty properties back into use.
Short-term and recently empty properties may get a temporary exemption while being sold, renovated or after a death, so check the rules at glasgow.gov.uk/ctempty before assuming you owe the lot.
2026/27 discounts and charges at a glance
| Relief or charge | Effect on your bill | Apply or automatic? |
|---|---|---|
| Council Tax Reduction (low income) | Up to 100% off council tax element | Must apply |
| Single person discount | 25% off | Must apply |
| All-student household | Full exemption | Must apply |
| SMI living alone | Full exemption | Must apply, doctor’s certificate |
| Carer / disregarded adult | 25% off (if one adult left) | Must apply |
| Disabled band reduction | Billed one band lower | Must apply, evidence needed |
| Second home / long-term empty | 300% of standard charge | Charged automatically |
Figures are for 2026/27 and can change each year. Always confirm the current position on the council’s own pages before relying on a number.
How to apply in Glasgow
Most reductions go through Glasgow City Council directly:
- Online is quickest. Apply for Council Tax Reduction, single person discount, disregards and the disabled reduction at glasgow.gov.uk/counciltax.
- By phone, the council tax line is 0141 287 5050.
- Have your council tax reference, National Insurance number, and proof of income or circumstances ready. For CTR they may ask for partner details and anyone else living with you.
Apply as soon as you’re eligible. Discounts can sometimes be backdated, but don’t bank on it, the sooner you claim the sooner you save. If you’ve recently arrived in the city, our moving to Glasgow guide covers registering for council tax in the first place.
FAQ
Can I get more than one discount at once?
Yes, some stack. A disabled person living alone can get the disabled band reduction and the 25% single person discount together. Council Tax Reduction sits on top of any discount you already have.
Will Council Tax Reduction clear my whole bill?
It can wipe out up to 100% of the council tax part, but the Scottish Water and waste water charges on your bill still have to be paid.
I live with a full-time student, do I still get a discount?
If you’re the only adult who counts because everyone else is disregarded (like a student), you get the 25% single person discount.
How much does savings affect Council Tax Reduction?
If you have £16,000 or more in savings you usually can’t claim, unless you get Guarantee Pension Credit. Below that, savings are taken into account but you may still qualify.
Do I have to reapply every year?
Not usually, but you must tell the council whenever your circumstances change, someone moving in, income changing, a student finishing their course. Otherwise you risk owing money back.
What’s the catch with second homes now?
From April 2026 Glasgow charges 300% of the standard rate on second homes and homes empty 12 months or more, so it’s far dearer than it used to be.
Last updated June 2026. Council tax discounts, bands and premiums are set yearly and can change, so check the latest figures and apply at glasgow.gov.uk/counciltax or mygov.scot.
