A petition on the Parliamentary website urges the government to “exempt all pensioners from council tax”.
Council tax exemption for ‘all’ state pensioners update as Treasury speaks out
The Treasury has issued an update over calls to make ALL state pensioners “exempt” from council tax. A petition on the Parliamentary website urges the government to “exempt all pensioners from council tax”.
It says: “We call on Parliament to pass a law which exempts all pensioners in Britain from paying Council Tax. Current provisions only ensure that pensioners on the lowest incomes receive full relief, yet many others, particularly those on modest but above-threshold pensions, still pay this tax.
“We believe Council Tax is increasingly unaffordable. Many pensioners often rely on a fixed income and face growing living costs, which may exacerbate financial pressures while pensioners continue to struggle.
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“We believe exempting all pensioners from Council Tax isn’t just compassionate but is also fiscally responsible. We believe it could provide relief to a vulnerable demographic and help uphold public services by ensuring fairer funding models.”
The petition has been backed by 1,200 names and 10,000 signatures are required to get a government response. At 100,000 signatures, this petition will be considered for debate in Parliament.
The Treasury replied: “The Government requires councils to provide council tax support so the lowest-income pensioners do not pay council tax. There are no plans for a mandatory council tax discount for all pensioners.
“Councils provide over 800 vital local public services to millions of people across the country. Council tax is an essential component of their funding, without which councils would not be able to meet their legal responsibilities.
“To ensure fairness in the system, there are a range of discounts and exemptions to reflect personal circumstances. Councils are required to put in place a centrally prescribed support scheme for pension-age households.
“This ensures that the lowest-income pensioners are not required to make any contribution towards their council tax. In March 2025, 1.4m claimants were being supported by the pension age local council tax support.
“The government has no plans to introduce a mandatory discount for all pensioners.”