Scots won't see council tax bump for taking in Ukrainian refugees

People in Scotland who open their homes to Ukrainian refugees will not lose council tax discounts, the Scottish Government has announced.

The single person occupancy discount will be protected for people offering space to those arriving in Scotland from Ukraine.

It will apply to those doing so whether that is within a domestic home or self-contained accommodation.

Changes being made by the Government will also ensure that the Homes for Ukraine £350 “thank-you” payment will not affect the level of council tax reduction a household can receive.

The status and income of Ukrainian residents living with families in Scotland under the scheme will also not be considered when calculating any council tax reduction.

Finance secretary Kate Forbes praised the generosity of Scots opening their homes, as she outlined the steps being taken to avoid people being “financially penalised” for doing so.

“The people of Scotland have shown such a huge groundswell of solidarity and support for Ukraine,” said Forbes.

“Their generosity has been heart-warming, and it’s only right that nobody should be financially penalised for opening their homes to people displaced by this illegal war.

“These regulations will come into force for the start of the new council tax year on Friday, April 1.

“These follow similar regulations ensuring displaced people have access to social security and health from the moment of arrival.”

However, households will still see their rates rise by 3% after councils across the country opted for the increase.

The rise is due to be implemented at the start of the new council tax year on Friday.

An earlier version of this article stated that Scots taking in Ukrainian refugees would be exempt from the 3% council tax rise following a press release from the Scottish Government that read, “people who open up their homes under the Homes for Ukraine scheme will not be subject to an increase in council tax following changes to legislation,” however this is not the case.