Smi

marliepanda

tboo wrote: »

I know it isn't the place to raise it but it requires saying.


Martin Lewis and his towers are always banging on and on about claiming this & that and now it’s SMIs, my council has a huge back log of SMI applications to process and the local GPs are now on about charging for the forms to be completed because of the number of forms coming through their doors – I know they can’t and they have been told this but they are under pressure as it is


When the accounts of all the non-payers of council tax are taken out of the equation then where is this lost revenue supposed to be collected from - the other council tax payers obviously.
The police, fire brigade etc still want their money no matter how many pay it.

Council tax bands are increasing next year as it is
Sooner or later all exemptions and disregards will have to be overhauled like benefits was to Universal credit.

Rant over.

The issue to me is more then saying if you have X illness then your qualify, when you don’t! We are turning many away with Parkinson’s (which was the first one mentioned) as there is no mental impairment, only physical. We tell them that, and then they are upset at the form as it is for severely mentally impaired, and they don’t like to be called that! That is what the discount is for! Argh!!

Mersey_2

tboo wrote: »

I know it isn't the place to raise it but it requires saying.

Martin Lewis and his towers are always banging on and on about claiming this & that and now it’s SMIs, my council has a huge back log of SMI applications to process and the local GPs are now on about charging for the forms to be completed because of the number of forms coming through their doors – I know they can’t and they have been told this but they are under pressure as it is

When the accounts of all the non-payers of council tax are taken out of the equation then where is this lost revenue supposed to be collected from - the other council tax payers obviously.
The police, fire brigade etc still want their money no matter how many pay it.

To be fair, that is the whole point of this site and his tv programme.


I also doubt that council staff are a group who the general public will have much sympathy with, for processing a backlog which they are in part caused (by their own failure to publish and/or action the smi rebate).


I take your point, but then grants from central Govt are based on total figures. Councils shouldn't be spending or budgeting based on the fact that a certain % don't receive what they are entitled to. Or worse deliberately fail to even list the rebate at all.


Councils could of course collect a higher % of Council Tax or business rates or cut down further on fraud (including the 25% single occupancy discount).


Indeed the comments re your manager (as well as the posts of tboo and marlipanda) show a culture in local govt which is hardly 'customer focused', 'open' or showing a 'willingness to put things right' [all Ombudsman's Principles for Administration & Complaint handling] There should be no need to 'apply' or complete benefit forms for this rebate. Claimants or their relatives should just 'get it.' Indeed in many of the cases highlighted recently, Councils had themselves organised the care package for residents with dementia and still failed to action the smi rebate or even notify it's existence on their websites.

CIS

Martin Lewis and his towers are always banging on and on about claiming this & that and now it’s SMIs, my council has a huge back log of SMI applications to process and the local GPs are now on about charging for the forms to be completed because of the number of forms coming through their doors – I know they can’t and they have been told this but they are under pressure as it is

They shouldn't be charging - the instruction from the BMA is that Drs cannot charge for completing the form https://www.bma.org.uk/advice/employment/fees/certificates-no-charge.

Yes, the publicity can be a pain but it's a statutory right to claim the reduction - although I do agree that it would be easier all around if people claimed nearer the time (and read the paperwork which lists the reductions available).

CIS

The issue to me is more then saying if you have X illness then your qualify, when you don’t! We are turning many away with Parkinson’s (which was the first one mentioned) as there is no mental impairment, only physical. We tell them that, and then they are upset at the form as it is for severely mentally impaired, and they don’t like to be called that! That is what the discount is for! Argh!!

Perennial problem for any council tax reductions - that is exactly why I tell people it's not the illness that matters, it's the effect it has on you.