People who are severely mentally impaired
If someone living in your household suffers from severe mental impairment, then they won't be counted for council tax purposes.
The law states that a severely mentally impaired person is someone who has a severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning, which appears to be permanent. This may be due to a degenerative brain disorder such as Alzheimer’s disease, a stroke or other forms of dementia.
To be considered as severely mentally impaired, the person concerned must have a certificate of confirmation from a registered medical practitioner. Doctors issue these certificates free of charge. To ensure that is the case, we can make a request to the doctor for you once you complete an application for a severe mental impairment discount.
In addition, the person must be entitled to (or have an underlying entitlement to) at least one of these benefits:
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long term incapacity benefit
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employment and support allowance
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attendance allowance
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severe disablement allowance
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the highest or middle rate care component of disability living allowance (DLA)
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standard or enhanced rate of the daily living component of personal independence payment (PIP)
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an increase in disablement allowance for constant attendance
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the disability element in working tax credit
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unemployability supplement (this was abolished in 1987 but existing claimants remain entitled)
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constant attendance allowance payable under the industrial injuries or war pension schemes
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income support including a disability premium because of incapacity for work
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a person who would have qualified for one of the above benefits (but is excluded by age) still qualifies for the discount
A person is also considered to suffer from a severe mental impairment if they are the partner of a person in receipt of income based jobseekers allowance which includes a disability premium or higher pensioner premium because they:
- get the long term rate of incapacity benefit
- were in receipt of long term incapacity benefit up to pension age and are still alive
- are entitled to attendance allowance/disability living allowance but have been in hospital more than 28 days
If, even after disregarding any adults living in your household who do not count for council tax purposes, more than one adult does still count, then no discounts can be claimed, though you can make a claim for council tax support if you are on a low income.
If everyone residing in a property is classed as suffering from severe mental impairment, then a full exemption from council tax can be claimed.
Please contact the council for an application form.