List of seven medical conditions that could exempt you from paying any council tax
People with certain medical conditions could receive a partial or complete reduction in their council tax bill. Being eligible for a council tax reduction could see households save hundreds of pounds each year.
According to MoneySavingExpert (MSE), hundreds of thousands of people in England, Scotland and Wales could be entitled to this reduction and not claiming it.
It comes after council tax bills were put up in April, with almost all councils hiking bills by up to, or close to, the maximum rate permitted. On average, council tax bills have increased by 5.1% in the previous two years.
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Since April 1, the average annual band D bill - the standard measure of council tax - is £2,280 a year in total. That's an increase of £109 from last year and a 20% rise from five years ago when the average bill was £1,898.
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But people who are classed as "severely mentally impaired" may be able to claim up to 50% off their bill - or in the most severe cases have the whole bill wiped entirely.
According to the government, there are two criteria a person needs to meet to qualify for the discount:
they must have a certificate from a medical professional, such as a GP, to say they are "severely mentally impaired"
they must be able to prove they are claiming certain benefits
The government does not define what it means by "severely mentally impaired" but MSE suggests there are several conditions that may qualify for the discount.
According to MSE, the following conditions may qualify:
Dementia (including Alzheimer's)
Parkinson's
Severe learning difficulties
Multiple sclerosis
Cerebral palsy
Severe stroke
Schizophrenia
However, whether the discount is granted or not will depend on an individual's own circumstances and a diagnosis of one of the above does not necessarily mean the discount will be granted.
MSE explains: "You can be diagnosed as SMI as a result of a range of conditions – which could include things like dementia, Schizophrenia, multiple sclerosis, having had a stroke, or having had an accident which permanently affects your intelligence and social functioning.
"Many conditions can underlie being SMI, but no condition means a person is definitely also SMI. Being SMI is a doctor's diagnosis in its own right."
To qualify for the discount, a doctor must provide a certificate confirming that the patient is "severely mentally impaired".
According to the law, a person may be classed as such if they have "a severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning (however caused) which appears to be permanent".
To qualify for the discount you must also be able to prove you are claiming certain benefits, or in some cases, just that you are eligible for them.
Qualifying benefits may include:
Attendance Allowance
Universal Credit
Disability Living Allowance
Income Support
Personal Independence Payment
Further information can be found on the gov.uk website and local authorities can provide full eligibility criteria for the discount on their websites.
If you live on your own then your council tax discount will be 100% - meaning you won't have to pay any council tax.
You may get 50% off your council tax bill if you only live with people who are 'disregarded' from council tax - people who are not counted when working out how many people are in a household, including people under 18, people on certain apprenticeship schemes, full-time students, live-in carers and diplomats.
If you live with one other person who is not discounted then you can get a 25% discount.
You may also be able to get back payments, depending on which local council you pay your tax to.
According to MSE, some councils will backdate the discount by six years but each council has its own policy and they are not legally obliged to backdate the discount.
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