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Severe mental impairment
Ray_her
Posts: 1 Newbie
After watching Martin Lewis advising people who live with someone who have a severe mental impairment may qualify for a reduction in their council tax so I followed his links from the website and put forward a claim.
I have recently been asked by the council for documentary evidence of my income and statements of all my bank accounts.
I was given the impression by the TV program that this was a benefit that wasn't means tested.
Does anyone have any experience in this area? Many thanks
I have recently been asked by the council for documentary evidence of my income and statements of all my bank accounts.
I was given the impression by the TV program that this was a benefit that wasn't means tested.
Does anyone have any experience in this area? Many thanks
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Comments
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You have maybe applied for the wrong thing, have they sent you a reply, does it have a claim number?
If you have a claim number you have perhaps applied for a means tested benefit?
Call them and ask
elmer0 -
I suspect you've asked for a 'council tax reduction' and they've taken that to mean you want to claim council tax reduction (ctr), this is means tested.
You need to specifically apply for the SMI disregard, this is not means tested.
CraigI no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.0 -
After watching Martin Lewis advising people who live with someone who have a severe mental impairment may qualify for a reduction in their council tax so I followed his links from the website and put forward a claim.
I have recently been asked by the council for documentary evidence of my income and statements of all my bank accounts.
I was given the impression by the TV program that this was a benefit that wasn't means tested.
Does anyone have any experience in this area? Many thanks
Sadly this shows what Martin said: some Council staff just appear unaware the smi rebate even exists.
As others have suggested: there's no need to apply for this or supply any income info, as it is not a means-tested benefit, but a statutory right.
Send an email FAO: Manager, Revenue/Benefits and ask them to reply within 28 days. You might also suggest that the authority puts the smi rebate on their website.Please be polite to OPs and remember this is a site for Claimants and Appellants to seek redress against their bank, ex-boss or retailer. If they wanted morality or the view of the IoD or Bank they'd ask them.0 -
After watching Martin Lewis advising people who live with someone who have a severe mental impairment may qualify for a reduction in their council tax so I followed his links from the website and put forward a claim.
I have recently been asked by the council for documentary evidence of my income and statements of all my bank accounts.
I was given the impression by the TV program that this was a benefit that wasn't means tested.
Does anyone have any experience in this area? Many thanks
Which local authority is it ?
It is a statutory right to receive a discount or exemption but unless the council are aware that a person may be SMI and don't follow it up then the annual council tax demand, which contains a summary of discounts and exemptions, and the information on the council website is deemed to be sufficient notice.
I very much doubt this is a case of the council staff not knowing about SMI, it's more a case of a miss communication in what was wanted and easily resolved.I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.0 -
The TV programme is correct; this is not a means tested benefit and no financial info should be required.I was given the impression by the TV program that this was a benefit that wasn't means tested.
Does anyone have any experience in this area?
I applied on behalf of an elderly relative using a form downloaded from their local authority website. (Leeds City Council)0 -
the information on the council website is deemed to be sufficient notice.
I very much doubt this is a case of the council staff not knowing about SMI, it's more a case of a miss communication in what was wanted and easily resolved.
That was Martin Lewis's very point. A plurality of councils surveyed failed to list the smi rebate at all on their websites.
Miss Communication would be an appropriate name for some LA staff in my experience hohoPlease be polite to OPs and remember this is a site for Claimants and Appellants to seek redress against their bank, ex-boss or retailer. If they wanted morality or the view of the IoD or Bank they'd ask them.0 -
It's explained here
https://www.counciltaxadvisors.co.uk/scotland/council-tax/disabled-reduction/
You need to apply for council tax reduction - not council tax support which is means tested. In effect you will get a 25 per cent discount - similar to single person discount.
So search for council tax reduction for disabled people on your council website. If you name the council we can find the right link!0 -
'Council Tax Reduction' and 'Council Tax Support' (CTR/CTS) are one and the same - they both describe the same means tested system, that why there's often confusion.
What the OP needs to apply for is a 'SMI disregard' (any discount/exemption flows from that disregard) - the link in the previous post is for what is commonly known as the 'Disabled Band Reduction', works in a different way to a Council Tax disregard or CTR/CTS,I no longer work in Council Tax Recovery but instead work as a specialist Council Tax paralegal assisting landlords and Council Tax payers with council tax disputes and valuation tribunals. My views are my own reading of the law and you should always check with the local authority in question.0 -
Hi - my first ever post/question so hope someone can help me. I applied to my council on a SevereIy mentally impaired form for my mother who was diagnosed in 2013 a letter came back saying she would get back her payments from 2013 which they advised was £5194 now after sending forms they asked for, my power of attorney, and confirmation of Attendence Allowance that she has only been receiving since September 2017 - I didn’t know about this benefit before last year - the council have now said my mum will only receive a refund from date of Att Allowance and not date of diagnosis - £684 against £5,194 - does anyone know if this is correct? ML has previously said that the person does not need to be receiving the benefit only entitled to them. Which date should the council pay from? Many thanks if anyone can help.0
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“Severely mentally impaired”
sorry0
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