Full time student exemption
In the meantime, please use the arrangement form. Alternatively, you can check your council tax account balance, and make payments via telephone on 0208 690 9666 option 1 or the automated payment line on 0208 690 8707.
We're working hard to fix things. We apologise for the inconvenience.
Haven't had your council tax bill?
If you've got a MyLewisham account and have registered to view your council tax account online, you won't get a paper copy of your annual bill – it'll be available to view online instead.
If you don't have MyLewisham account, you'll get a paper copy in the post as normal:
Council tax Direct DebitsWeekly Direct Debit council tax payments will be collected on Monday (instead of Friday) from 7 April 2025 until the end of March 2026.
You can also pay monthly on the 1st, 18th or 28th of the month.
Who's eligible
Households where everyone’s a full time student don’t have to pay council tax. If you get a bill, you can apply for an exemption.
To count as a full time student, your course must:
- last at least one academic year, and
- involve at least 21 hours of study per week
Your university or college will provide you with a certificate that you must send to us immediately. If you live in a halls of residence, you don’t need to apply - an exemption is already in place. Please contact your student accommodation officer.
Only full time students qualify for any type of council tax reduction, but if you're a part time student, you might be entitled to make a claim under the council tax reduction scheme if you're on a low income.
How much reduction you get
- the full exemption applies only to households that consist solely of full time students
- if only one claimant lives with any number of students, the claimant is also entitled to a 25% single person's discount
- if two or more non-students live in a household, there is no discount or reduction
How do I apply?
To apply for a student discount or exemption you will need to log in to your My Lewisham account. If you don’t have one already, please click 'Log in and apply for a discount' below then choose 'register' and follow the instructions to create your account.