Alcoy provides rubbish bill discounts for more than 800 low-income and elderly families

ALCOY. Alcoy Council provides a discount on the annual rubbish bill to more than 800 families each year, using the Rate B system which is designed to ease the financial burden on low-income households and residents aged over 65. Last year, 896 households benefited from the reduced rates, while 815 families have received the benefit so far this year. Many of these households qualify on an annual basis, generating savings for local taxpayers of 60,551.68 euro for 2025 and 68,419.25 euro for 2026.

To streamline access to the relief scheme, the local authority applies the rate automatically to residents over 65 who meet the eligibility criteria. This automatic mechanism reached 607 families in 2025 and 559 families in 2026. Alongside automatic renewals, the administration processes new applications annually, approving 289 new requests in 2025 and 256 for the 2026 financial year. As a result, the actual total paid by beneficiaries under Rate B stood at 44,405.76 euro and 31,100.40 euro respectively, which municipal sources note is significantly lower than what residents would have paid without the local aid.

The application window for Rate B runs from July until the end of September, meaning residents have until 30 September to submit an application.

Additionally, a separate discount is available for residents who participate in organic waste separation. Registration for the organic recycling scheme remains open throughout the year.

Finance Councillor Vanessa Moltó highlighted “the importance of maintaining these grants to protect the most vulnerable sectors of the city”. She added that tax pressure in Alcoy remains below national and regional averages, stressing the commitment to progressive taxation where those with lower incomes contribute less.