Wakefield Council takes major step to support terminally ill residents
Wednesday, January 07, 2026
Wakefield Council’s key decision makers are set to agree a major step to help tackle end of life poverty across the district.
Terminally ill residents will receive a new 100% Council Tax discount. This would mean households with a person who is terminally ill would not need to pay the tax at such a difficult time.
“The introduction of a Council Tax discount for terminally ill residents will go some way to supporting people through the most difficult of times. By providing more financial support we can help them to focus on making the most of their remaining time with their families and friends.”
Cllr David Pickersgill
Cabinet Member for Resources
The Marie Curie Dying in Poverty report was published in 2025 and found that over 100,000 people a year die in poverty in the UK. It made a series of recommendations for how the public sector can provide additional support for terminally ill people.
Wakefield’s proposed Terminally Ill Council Tax discount scheme is in line with one of the recommendations of the report.
Hannah Drury, Public Affairs Officer at Marie Curie, said: "With a significant proportion of terminally ill people relying on benefits as their main source of income, council tax relief can be a huge support for families facing financial hardship.
"We applaud Wakefield Council for taking steps towards this, and the councils who have already committed to providing council tax relief for dying people. These councils have set a powerful precedent for compassionate local governance, showing that practical policy change is possible.
"We urge all councils across the country to follow suit and encourage those who have passed supportive motions to act swiftly on their commitments to make real change. No one should spend their final months worrying about bills."
A motion proposing the creation of a scheme that would provide support with Council Tax for terminally ill residents was approved at Wakefield’s Full Council meeting on 24 September 2025.
It’s recommended that a Terminally Ill Council Tax discount scheme is implemented from 1 April 2026 as part of the 26/27 budget setting process.
A decision will be made at the next Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 13 January. It starts at 10.30am and can be watched live or later on the Council’s website.
If accepted by Cabinet members, the plans will then move to a meeting of Full Council for formal consideration on 28 January.