council tax reduction/disability

hamaradam

Should a disabled person who gets dla and esa get a council tax reduction, I am asking on someone elses behalf - he previously got a zero bill, but then last year had to pay a tenner a month under the councils new rules. Now his new bill doesnt seem to have the same discount, it doesnt mention a reduction for his disability , simply 'you have a low income' with a tiny reduction, so now he has to pay a much higher sum than last year, and it seems to me that the dla and esa he gets, has not been taken into account. Should it have been? i seem to think he should not be paying so much and his disability should be considered in his reduction. Or am I wrong?

tomtontom

Council tax support is administered locally, with each authority setting their own rules. Many people that previously did not have to pay anything now have to pay something, and that could have increased this year due to the loss of transitional funding. How much is he paying?

sheeps68

From my understanding you only get the disability reduction if you have an adaptation to a room for the soul purpose of the person who has a disability for an example a treatment room that cannot be used as a normal room. In which case it is a lowering of one band.

sunnyone

Getting DLA and ESA has nothing to do with council tax reduction due to disability, as sheeps above has said it only applies to few disabled people who qualify under strict conditions.

You need to use a wheelchair indoors, have a seperate kitchen or bathroom which has been adapted due to disability of have a seperate room used as a treatment room.

Does your friend have two kitchens or bathrooms one of which is adapted due to disability? Or do they need a bigger home because they need space to use a wheelchair indoors ? (and they do check this, my last inspection took all of two minutes while they looked upstairs to make sure there was a wheelchair waiting for me at the end of the stairlift, having a stairlift isnt enough for the discount btw) or do they have a room set aside for dyalsis or physio etc?

Having a toilet seat on the downstairs loo or living alone and having bathroom adaptions atc. dont entitle you to the discount.

It is a band reduction as sheeps said or a percentage discount(10 or 15% I think) if you are on the lowest band and its not worth that much anyway, we get a band reduction because Im in a wheelchair fulltime and still pay over £200 per month council tax.

Indie_Kid

The council tax system changed in April 2013. All working age claimants are now expected to pay something towards their council tax, regardless of what benefits they receive.

Limana68

My hubby has a disability and our downstairs is adapted for a wheelchair and we also have a wetroom. Someone from the council came round and inspected and we were awarded a lower band rate due to this.

hamaradam

Thanks for replies, he has no adaptations or special rooms like a wet room or similar, he just struggles by, with a carer, he has only got grab rails and is in a bungalow. He is going to go bankrupt, how will he be expected to pay it then as a matter of interest, will it be written off for one year?

Morglin

Disability reduction in banding:

https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/discounts-for-disabled-people

Exemptions from paying any council tax:

https://www.gov.uk/council-tax/council-tax-exemptions

Lin

DomRavioli

hamaradam wrote: »

Thanks for replies, he has no adaptations or special rooms like a wet room or similar, he just struggles by, with a carer, he has only got grab rails and is in a bungalow. He is going to go bankrupt, how will he be expected to pay it then as a matter of interest, will it be written off for one year?

Why is he struggling? If he is on benefits they are there to pay for things like council tax and bills - he needs to reduce his outgoings.

Indie_Kid

DomRavioli wrote: »

Why is he struggling? If he is on benefits they are there to pay for things like council tax and bills - he needs to reduce his outgoings.

But benefits are also the minimum the law says you need to live on.

wildwestfan

Indie_Kid wrote: »

But benefits are also the minimum the law says you need to live on.

I would take issue with this statement which is often stated. No one ever says which actual law it is or even if there is such a law. It totally depends on the type of benefit. If it is a single person on JSA then I agree it is a bare minimum.

However if it is someone on ESA plus DLA then it is usually a very comfortable amount as is pension credit with all the add ons.

Sometimes I find myself wondering how much disposable income non workers think workers have left after paying housing and essential work costs. I think they could be surprised to find the worker has less cash, less free time etc.