Council-tax disregard rules added for Ukraine guests

The Homes for Ukraine tax page has gained a full Council Tax section.GOV Council tax funds local services such as road maintenance, street lighting, rubbish collection and the police and fire services. It is charged on adults living in a domestic dwelling, or on the owner where the property is empty, calculated on the property's value and adjusted for the number and circumstances of the people living there.

The key concept is the disregard. Some people are not counted when working out how many people live in a property, which can reduce the bill: where everyone in the household is disregarded the bill is cut by 50%, and where the bill-payer lives alone or everyone else is disregarded it is cut by 25%. A discount or exemption must be applied for even where a disregard applies, and anyone unsure about the bill or who is responsible for paying should contact the local council.

In England, a person on a Homes for Ukraine visa is disregarded for council tax purposes.GOV While that disregard applies, living with a sponsor or host does not affect the sponsor's or host's billGOV, and where every other resident is also disregarded the household receives the 50% discountGOV.

Someone who has moved onto a Ukraine Permission Extension visa keeps the disregard only on two joint conditions: they formerly held a Homes for Ukraine visa, and they live at a property provided by a Homes for Ukraine sponsor or host who is eligible for thank you payments.GOV Council guidance for the extension scheme states the disregard and any accommodation exemption remain in place for as long as the sponsor or host is eligible for a thank you paymentGOV, and also apply where the sponsor or host remains eligible on expiry of the Homes for Ukraine permission for up to six monthsGOV.

Where those circumstances do not apply and no other disregard is available — the page gives full-time student status as an example — the bill will normally be payable in full. In particular, continuing to live with a sponsor or host who is not eligible for thank you payments ends the disregardGOV, and the sponsor's or host's bill may increase. Anyone uncertain, guest or host, should seek clarification from the council.

The legal basis is the Council Tax disregard and discount framework together with the Homes for Ukraine Ukraine Permission Extension scheme guidance for councils on thank you payments and council tax.