Key Points
- End-of-life campaign: End-of-life charity Marie Curie is urging Bolton Council to completely waive council tax for residents diagnosed with a terminal illness to remove financial stress in their final months.
- Regional benchmark: The campaign urges local authorities across the North West to follow the lead of 27 English councils—including Manchester, Liverpool, Salford, Sefton, Wirral, Knowsley, Blackburn with Darwen, Burnley, Pendle, and Preston—that have already introduced specific exemption schemes.
- First mover: Manchester City Council became the first local authority in England to establish a tailored council tax exemption for terminally ill residents a year ago.
- Poverty risk at end of life: Research from Marie Curie’s Dying in Poverty report shows that more than one in six UK deaths occurs in financial difficulty, with working-age individuals facing severe income loss paired with soaring costs for heating, transport, and medical equipment.
- Support from Macmillan: Macmillan Cancer Support highlighted that cancer patients and terminally ill individuals face overwhelming hidden financial burdens alongside physical and emotional distress.
- Low financial impact on councils: Marie Curie emphasized that the cost to local authorities would be minimal, as the number of qualifying residents represents only a fraction of the total regional council tax base.
- Bolton Council's stance: Bolton Council currently maintains a discretionary relief scheme for residents in severe financial hardship, assessing cases on an individual basis, but lacks an automatic, specific exemption for terminal diagnoses.
Bolton (Bolton Today) August 17, 2026 – Terminally ill residents living in Bolton should be completely exempt from paying council tax to ensure they have "one less worry" during their final months of life, according to a campaign launched by leading end-of-life charity Marie Curie. The national charity is actively pressing Bolton Council to join a growing movement of progressive local authorities across the North West that have implemented dedicated council tax relief schemes for residents facing end-of-life diagnoses.
Under current local authority provisions, Bolton Council offers several standard discounts and relief options but does not maintain a direct, automatic council tax exemption for individuals living with a terminal condition. Marie Curie argues that introducing a targeted scheme would provide immediate protection against financial strain, allowing vulnerable residents and their families to focus on health and quality time rather than mounting domestic bills.
Why is Marie Curie urging Bolton Council to exempt terminally ill residents from council tax?
The campaign by Marie Curie forms part of a wider regional and national drive aimed at mitigating the severe economic shock that accompanies a terminal diagnosis. As reported by Maddie Avery, Trainee Reporter at The Bolton News, Marie Curie is appealing directly to local authorities across the North West that have not yet adapted their billing rules to emulate early adopters in the region.
When a person receives a terminal diagnosis, household finances are frequently disrupted almost overnight. Income often stops due to an inability to work, while daily living costs increase sharply due to constant home heating, frequent transport to hospital appointments, and specialized care equipment.
As reported by Maddie Avery of The Bolton News, Becca Stacey, Senior Policy Manager for Financial Security at Marie Curie, stated:
"A terminal diagnosis brings an end to normal life as people know it. It should not also bring increased financial hardship. But for more than one in six people who die in the UK each year, the last period of life is marked by financial difficulty. People are often no longer able to work, and can face rising costs for energy, transport, and vital medical equipment."
Data published in Marie Curie's Dying in Poverty report underscores that individuals in their final year of life face a heightened risk of falling into poverty, with working-age adults being particularly vulnerable due to sudden loss of employment earnings.
Which local authorities have already introduced council tax exemptions for terminally ill residents?
The movement to waive council tax for end-of-life residents has gathered substantial momentum across Greater Manchester and the wider North West over the past 12 months.
As reported by Maddie Avery of The Bolton News, Manchester City Council became the pioneer of this initiative a year ago by becoming the first local authority in England to launch financial support tailored specifically to residents diagnosed with a terminal illness. Since Manchester established the policy, 26 additional local authorities across England have introduced similar measures.
In the North West, local authorities that have successfully introduced council tax exemption schemes for terminally ill residents include:
- Manchester City Council
- Liverpool City Council
- Salford City Council
- Sefton Council
- Wirral Council
- Knowsley Council
- Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
- Burnley Borough Council
- Pendle Borough Council
- Preston City Council
Civic leaders in councils that have implemented the change emphasize that relief schemes are designed to offer compassionate administrative support during moments of severe family distress.
As reported by Maddie Avery of The Bolton News, Cllr Andrew Simcock, Executive Member for Finance and Resources at Manchester City Council, stated:
"At a time when a family will be grappling with incredibly hard news, the last thing we wanted as a council was them to worry about how the bills would be paid."
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How does severe illness impact household finances for Bolton families?
Beyond Marie Curie, other major health organisations operating within the borough have highlighted the intense pressure placed on patients coping with long-term and terminal conditions. Local advisors from Bolton Macmillan Information and Support point out that serious illnesses frequently trigger devastating financial shocks for individuals who are already managing complex health conditions.
As reported by Maddie Avery of The Bolton News, Chris Ransom, Head of Services at Macmillan Cancer Support, stated:
"We know that cancer can impact every part of someone's life and, for many, the financial impact can be just as overwhelming as the physical and emotional effects of a diagnosis. Too many people are left navigating rising living costs from travelling to appointments, or using more heating if they feel the cold more because of their treatment. They may also experience a loss of income if they need to work less or give up work completely. All of this comes at a time when they should be focusing on their health. No one should spend precious time worrying about money at the end of their life."
The double burden of lost earnings and mandatory household overheads—such as municipal council tax—can quickly exhaust savings for households affected by terminal medical conditions.
What is Bolton Council's current position on council tax relief?
In response to calls from end-of-life charities, local authority leaders in Bolton point to existing mechanisms designed to evaluate hardship on a case-by-case basis, rather than applying categorical rules.
As reported by Maddie Avery of The Bolton News, a spokesperson for Bolton Council stated:
"We have a council tax discretionary relief scheme for residents suffering financial hardship. Cases are considered based on individual circumstances."
While discretionary schemes permit residents to apply for individual assistance, campaign groups maintain that discretionary relief requires navigating complex bureaucratic applications at a time when patients and families are least equipped to manage administrative burdens. Marie Curie asserts that a clear, automatic exemption policy provides certainty and dignity without forcing critically ill residents through lengthy application channels.
What would be the financial impact on Bolton Council if the exemption is adopted?
A central argument presented by Marie Curie is that providing council tax exemptions for terminally ill residents carries a very modest cost for local authority budgets, while providing immense relief to recipient households.
Because the total number of residents living with a terminal diagnosis at any given time represents a minute fraction of the overall local tax base, the charity insists that councils can absorb the policy without compromising local services or overall revenue generation. Thousands of terminally ill individuals across the remaining North West boroughs stand to benefit if all outstanding authorities sign up to the campaign.