Struggling with Council Tax in Hamilton? Here's What You Need to Know

Council Tax funds services like rubbish collection, street lighting, schools, and social care, and according to Citizens Advice Scotland, Council Tax arrears are the largest single debt issue that local bureaux deal with. The average debt owed can be close to three times the average annual Council Tax bill. That's a significant burden on individuals and families already stretched to breaking point.

If your Council Tax is starting to feel unmanageable, or you’re confused about exemptions, discounts and reductions, or you’ve already missed payments, there may be ways to reduce what you owe.

Here we’ll cut through the jargon, and make sure you know what your options are.

Different options that can help with your Council Tax bill

There are several ways that your Council Tax bills could be reduced slightly or even in full. You may be able to get a discount or a reduction, which means you get money off your bill. Or you may get an exemption which means you do not have to pay Council Tax.

Council Tax Reduction

Council Tax Reduction can reduce your Council Tax bill by up to 100%, depending on your income, savings, and household situation. It isn't a loan. It doesn't need to be paid back, and it doesn’t matter which council tax band you’re in. It's a reduction in what you owe. It’s for people on a low income, whether you’re working, out of work, or receiving benefits. Many households qualify and don’t realise.

If your income is below the applied threshold for your household, you could receive full Council Tax Reduction. If your income is slightly above the threshold, you'll receive a partial reduction. The online calculators below can work all that out for you.

Savings and investments above £16,000 will normally disqualify you, unless you get the Guarantee Credit as part of your Pension Credit and bear in mind that whatever amount of reduction you receive, you will still need to pay water and sewerage charges.

You can use Citizens Advice Scotland free checker tool to check if you’re likely to qualify. Or you could use South Lanarkshire Council’s benefit calculator. Both take around 10-15 minutes.

You can apply online here and submit all supporting evidence electronically. You'll need information about your income, any benefits you receive, and your household details. You can either upload the evidence when you make the application, or you can do it later, just use the council's online form. They give tips on how to upload your evidence but if you need support just get in touch with us.

If you have recently applied for benefit with the Department for Works and Pensions (DWP) they will ask if you want to apply for Council Tax Reduction. If you have said you do, the DWP may pass this information to the council but you still need to apply directly to the council to get the reduction.

According to the latest Scottish Government statistics, there were 458,120 people who received Council Tax Reduction in Scotland in March 2025, saving an average of over £850 a year on their Council Tax bills. So, it’s worth checking to see if you do qualify.

Second Adult Reduction

If it turns out that you don't qualify for Council Tax Reduction but have a second adult over the age of 18 living with you, you may, depending on their income and circumstances be eligible for a Second Adult Reduction instead.

A second adult could be your grown-up children, friends, other relatives, or carers who live with you.

This may reduce your Council Tax bill by 7.5%, 15% or 25%, if those other members of the household are on low income or certain benefits. Your own income will not be included. Again, you still have to pay your water and sewerage charges.

You can apply here and submit your evidence using the online form. It can get a bit complex so if you need help just contact us.

Band E–H Relief

If you live in a higher-council tax banded property (Bands E, F, G, or H), you may be eligible for a special form of Council Tax Reduction. Your income needs to below a certain threshold and your savings and capital below £16,000. The maximum amount of reduction does not start to be reduced until your income is over £321 a week if you are single, or £479 a week if you have a partner or children. So you can be earning quite a bit and still be eligible.

You can apply for this in the same way you apply for standard Council Tax Reduction. The council will check if you qualify for this, or if another type of reduction would be more beneficial, depending on your situation.

Single Person Discount

If you live alone or are the only adult living in the property you can reduce your Council Tax bill by 25%.

If someone who normally lives in the property is working away from home, depending on the circumstances, the council may still class the property as their main residence, so you won't necessarily be entitled to a reduction in your Council Tax. It’s still worth applying though to see.

You can make an application here.

Severe Mental Impairment

Your council tax bill could be reduced by 25%, 50% or 100% if you or an adult in your household suffers from a severe and permanent impairment to intelligence and social function. This could be due to, for example, dementia, Parkinson's, severe learning difficulties, multiple sclerosis.

This will also depend on how many other adults live in the property, you will need confirmation from a GP of the condition and the person with the condition will need to be in receipt of eligible benefits.

To make an application you first need to fill out South Lanarkshire Council’s request form and they will then send out the application form.

Disabled Discount

You may be entitled to this discount if you or someone who lives with you (adult or a child) has a mental or physical disability or learning difficulties. This must be the person’s main or only home.

There are also other eligibility conditions and again you’ll need evidence to support your application.

You can apply here.

Care Worker Discount

You may be able to reduce your Council Tax bill by up to 25% or 50%, if you or someone in your household is providing care to someone who lives with you. The person providing care must be living in the property and again, it also depends on how many other adults live there.

There are different rules and eligibility criteria for paid and unpaid carers and supporting evidence will be needed.

You can make an application here.

Care Discount

You could reduce your Council Tax by 25% or 50% if someone who normally lives with you has left the property in order to receive care for a minimum of 6 weeks in a hospital, residential care home or a nursing home. All depends on how many other adults there are in your property and you’ll again need to submit evidence.

To apply click here.

Care Leaver Discount

You may be able to reduce your council Tax bill by 25%, 50% or 100% (depending on how many other adults live in the property.) If you or someone in your household is aged between 18 and 26, and were being looked after by a local authority on your/their 16th birthday or at any time after that, but they are no longer being looked after by a local authority.

You apply for this discount here.

Armed Forces Personnel Discount

If you or someone in your household is a member of the armed forces and has had to leave to fulfil their duties, you may be able to reduce your Council Tax bill by 25% or 50% depending on how many other adults live in the property.

You can apply here.

Student Discount

If you’re an eligible student at college or university, or someone in your household is, you may be able to reduce your Council Tax bill by 25%, 50% or 100%, depending on how many other adults live in the property.

You can apply on this page.

Prison or other forms of detention

Your bill could be reduced by 25%, 50% or 100%, depending on how many other adults live in the property, if you or someone in your household is in prison for an offence other than the non-payment of a fine, or they are under another form of detention.

You can use this form to apply.

Training schemes and apprenticeships

If you or someone who normally lives with you is an apprentice earning below a certain amount, you may be able to reduce your Council Tax bill by 25% or 50%, depending on how many other adults live in the property.

You’re required to provide evidence of the apprenticeship with your application and you can apply here.

If you or someone who normally lives with you is on a youth training scheme, you could get a discount of 25% or 50%, depending on how many other adults live in the property.

You can apply here.

Entering the UK from Ukraine or under a resettlement or relocation scheme

If you used to live in Ukraine and came here, or came under a resettlement or relocation scheme, you may be eligible for a 25% or 50% discount or 100% exemption, depending on the number of adults in the property and their status. This is subject to different rules and criteria and is quite complex, so seeking advice may be really useful here.

Or you can just apply for this discount/exemption here.

Where do water and sewerage charges fit into all this?

It’s important to be aware of a few things regarding water and sewerage charges that you pay alongside your Council Tax.

If you get a Council Tax exemption, you normally won’t have to pay anything to your Council Tax and water and sewerage charges. If you get a Council Tax discount, you will have to pay something to both (e.g. for a single occupancy discount you may have to pay 75% of the council tax charge and 75% of the water and sewerage charges). And if you get a Council Tax Reduction, the amount you have to pay depends on your savings and income, but you will still have to pay for at least 75% of the water and sewerage charges.

What happens if You fall behind and you’re in Council Tax arrears?

It's understandable why payments can quietly slide. People don't always feel the immediate sting of unpaid Council Tax the way they do a missed food shop or a disconnected energy supply.

But the debt collection process for Council Tax in Scotland is faster and harsher than for most commercial debts like loans or credit cards, this is because Council Tax arrears are treated as a "priority debt." Which means that the consequences of not paying can escalate quickly and be quite serious.

That’s why acting early matters, even if you can only pay a small amount right now.

If you’re already in arrears, here’s your simple action list:

1. Open the letters (even if you can’t pay today).

2. Check your entitlement using the online tools listed in this article and make the above applications that you think fit your circumstances. This can reduce ongoing bills and help stop arrears getting worse. You may also get some backdating, if you ask for it, which may reduce the amount you owe.

3. Contact South Lanarkshire Council to discuss a payment plan if you’re behind.

4. Get free advice locally and contact us at Hamilton Citizens Advice or Money Matters at South Lanarkshire Council, for more support.

   
   

If it’s escalated a bit further down the line, there’s still things that can be done.

Here's how the Council Tax recovery process works in South Lanarkshire:

1. Reminder notice: Sent after a missed payment, giving you 7 days to pay up.

2. Final notice: Councils can send up to two reminders. If you don’t pay within 7 days of the final reminder, you’ll lose the right to pay your Council Tax bill in instalments. The full year's balance then becomes due.

3. Summary Warrant: The Council can apply to the Sheriff Court without a formal hearing. This is a legal step confirming you’re liable for the arrears. If you receive a summary warrant and can’t pay in full, contact the sheriff officers (details will be on the paperwork) to ask if they will allow you to pay it in instalments.

4. Enforcement: If you can’t agree a payment arrangement with sheriff officers, the council might try to take what you owe from your benefits, or arrest your wages or bank account to take the money from there.

Act now!

Whatever stage you’re at, act now. Whether that’s checking your eligibility using the online calculators, applying for your reductions, exemptions, or discounts, or contacting the council or sheriff officers to discuss repayment plans. Acting early keeps your options open.

Free advice can help you sort a plan, check benefits, and negotiate repayments, so if you're already struggling, call us on 01698 283477, contact us online, or contact Money Matters. You don't have to deal with this alone.

If you want to know more about Council Tax visit South Lanarkshire's Council tax pages, or for information on discounts and exemptions in unoccupied properties, just click here.

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Block of council flats, South Lanarkshire, Scotland.