council tax discount because I have bipolar?

pineapple

I'm wondering how far we can stretch this?
How about someone who has bouts of severe black depression?
Post traumatic stress disorder?
I can think of lots of conditions that are pretty disabling. But let's be honest none of them are within the spirit of this legislation - which is aimed at people with dementia, mentally disabled etc
There is still so much work to do to ensure that those who genuinely qualify get it without every Tom !!!!!! and Harry trying to get in on the act. A case of financial gain coming before pride maybe. Because it's almost akin to saying - hey you get a single person discount because we will treat the 'severely impaired' family member as a non person. Fortunately in the cases of dementia where I was advising families to apply, the client was too far gone to understand.
Edit: Somehow this topic reminds me of a letter to a Ugandan newspaper from someone saying they should be treated as disabled because they were bald.

real1314

rogerblack wrote: »

Severe mental impairment in this context is what parliament has laid down in law, statutory instruments, and any caselaw that has built up. In addition to the practice of how it's administrated.

The words in regulations do not always mean what they say on the tin.

Yeah, but the law (and statutory instruments? - they're part of the law) and the caselaw would have taken too long to post. The praactice of admin isn't really a determining factor.

I just posted a few examples of caselaw. :cool:

pauletruth

pink_orchid wrote: »

Paul, i AM severely disabled by my VARIABLE condition. I have just returned home from my 13th hospital stay in 3 years. Bipolar by its nature gives us times of increased productivity as well as reduced.

i recognise that you suffer from a really bad condition. that it can wreck your life and that you need support. i just don't think its this support. with so many visit to the hospital has your medication been reviewed recently. have you tried dla as you will need support in keeping your self safe.

pink_orchid

real1314 wrote: »

Imagine (well, you don't really need to imagine, 'cos people are like this) a person who cannot act for themselves at all. Ever. In any way.
They can't read or write; not through lack of education or effort, but because their brain is damaged / non functioning.
They can't decide most things for themself.
They can't budget, plan or think ahead.
They need support at almost all times.

That's severe mental impairment. Just info. :cool:

And that is fair enough, that is what I was asking.:) However, I do not think that councils make this defintion clear enough.

Pineapple, I wouldn't have known about this rule in council tax had it not been for a welfare rights worker who advised me to apply for it years ago. She obviously had good reason to think I qualified. I refused because I was too proud to.....hardly financial gain coming before pride.
I decided to re think my aversion to applying because ourfinances are so tight and I have been advised AGAIN, by another worker (although not a benefits advisor, just someone who works a lot with people with mental health problems) to apply and to NOT be so proud.

Pink

CIS

However, I do not think that councils make this defintion clear enough.

They have to quote the definition given in legislation.

She obviously had good reason to think I qualified. I refused because I was too proud to.....hardly financial gain coming before pride.

I would always advise someone to apply if they think they may qualify but in my experience 99% of welfare rights advisors have absolutely no experience of council tax other than what they've read somewhere. The number of times I've seen them give out advice that is at best completely wrong is considerable.

bobajob_1966

real1314 wrote: »

Imagine (well, you don't really need to imagine, 'cos people are like this) a person who cannot act for themselves at all. Ever. In any way.
They can't read or write; not through lack of education or effort, but because their brain is damaged / non functioning.
They can't decide most things for themself.
They can't budget, plan or think ahead.
They need support at almost all times.

That's severe mental impairment. Just info. :cool:

Highlighted points could be true of those with bipolar. The first point could be true of someone having a particularly severe episode (I have even seen a case where someone was placed on the stroke unit). The last point is not true - the law takes into account that many conditions are variable, so the need for support does not have to be constant.

CIS

The last point is not true - the law takes into account that many conditions are variable, so the need for support does not have to be constant.

The law takes no account of the variability of the condition for council tax purposes. Its a simple Yes or No answer by a medical practitioner as to whether a person meets the criteria in their opinion.

RuthnJasper

I don't want to enter into any debate on illness, what people with depressive disorders can/cannot do, or what's right/wrong. All I can offer here is the fact that I have severe depression (controlled with medication) and am going through a relatively "good" period at the moment after many years of debilitating illness. I don't qualify for any discount in my Council Tax (apart from paying the single occupancy rate as I live alone), but it's OK. I asked, it wasn't possible, so that's that.

It is worth pursuing if you think you have a genuine case and your CPN/hospital worker may be able to assist you with any claim.

Good luck to you Pink Orchid. xx

lovetowinacar

real1314 wrote: »

Imagine (well, you don't really need to imagine, 'cos people are like this) a person who cannot act for themselves at all. Ever. In any way.
They can't read or write; not through lack of education or effort, but because their brain is damaged / non functioning.
They can't decide most things for themself.
They can't budget, plan or think ahead.
They need support at almost all times.

That's severe mental impairment. Just info. :cool:

I understand what youy say - my close friend has a daughter who has very severe autism with severe learning difficulties. She cannot talk, cannot read or write and cannot post on an internet forum she cannot wipe her own bottom, needs help with feeding, dressing, washing, everything and will do so FOR LIFE every day and every night - I believe this is the type of individual the poster is referring to.

My friend does indeed find it frustrating when people who do indeed have bouts of depression, bi-polar etc imagine themselves to be in the same category as her daughter when they are quite able to manage good chunks of daily living and come across as quite able at least on an internet forum - she thinks that the benefits given to disabled people encourage people with less sever difficulties to portray themselves in the most extremely disabled light for most of the time for financial gain - she said she would prefer no financial payments for disabled BUT help given to help wash, change, feed, get out into the community, free incontinance equipment, and mobility aids so that the people who need the most help get the most help.. I appreciate this is not the place but when I see her struggle and I see others gain off the back of disabilities when clearly they need less assistance and can at least speak up for themselves I really do feel for her and agree with her

pink_orchid

I feel for your friend too. Before I was swamped with this illness as I have been in the past few years, that was my job.....looking after people with severe learning disability, some of whom had autism too. I worked in social service management, I advocated for the needs of my clients and their carers. I didn't have a lot to do with their benfits as by and large, everyone I worked on was on full rebates of everything and top level of financial aid from government. Had I dealt with benefits, I may have known the answer to my query.

Before these last few years I would never ever have considered someone with bipolar as severely disabled.Certainly not compared to the people I worked with. Oh boy....have I had to reconsider a lot of my points of view. I wish I was still in the ignorant place I was before. I am not going to go on about how the illness has disabled me as one, it is not the forum for this, two, I don't really want to and three, I don't think many people actually understand unless they have been closely affected.

Someone kindly asked if I had had medication reviewed. Yes....I have.....several times. I am closely monitored by the mental health team. Some people are lucky with BP, they get a medication regime that works pretty quickly, some people take quite some time, some people are medication resistant. Others, get a medication combo that stops or reduces the worst of the symptoms but the medication regime itself is extremely disabling.

I do not have 'bouts' of bipolar. I have had extreme mood swings for four years with very very little 'normal' in between. However, that MAY change. I may stabilise in mood and go get myself back into employment, back into society.........living behind a computer screen is not the same as living in the real world. I may get several years of stability and not need any financial assistance from the government. Trust me, I would far prefer to back in my job where I was earning 26 thousand a year for part time working, to where I am now, getting 4 thousand a year in benefits and wondering if I can possibly save a few pounds on my council tax......because I didn't understand the wording on the website I was directed to. (and that is particularly shameful for me as I have had to study the mh act whilst working!)

I would just like to say again.......I came in to ask some advice. I do not think I will do so again.