Carer's Discount, Council Tax

fatbelly

It varies with council, and it varies depending on who get in the council. And on who you know. The senior councillor who helped me was a friend of a friend.

It should be straightforward to get a class j exemption, as long as you can evidence which property is your main residence.

I wouldn't try to backdate things but let the story be that your mum' s condition is now so poor that you have to live with her

Shouldn't affect benefits afaik but you should check

Briskly

I thought I'd update on this. I just found out that I have been successful in my application for the class J exemption on my property and it has been backdated. Thanks for everyone's help on this - I feel it should be more widely known that this is available for carers in my position. There must be a few surely?

I have another related question. I guess I ought to register for Council Tax at my Mother's property now. It appears that as a full time  carer I should get an automatic disregard anyway. Presumably this would mean my Mum would lose her single person's discount but would somehow get a rebate to make the effect neutral. I all sounds a bit messy- has anyone got any experience of this? As I am over 60 and have been living full time at her address for at least the last 8 years I wonder if me being on the CT register will help when the crunch comes and she has to go into care, whether she will get her property disregarded for the care fees? I know I ought to sell my own property ASAP but it isn't an easy task as I am 24/7 looking after her.

Grateful for any advice.

lincroft1710

Briskly said:

I thought I'd update on this. I just found out that I have been successful in my application for the class J exemption on my property and it has been backdated. Thanks for everyone's help on this - I feel it should be more widely known that this is available for carers in my position. There must be a few surely?

I have another related question. I guess I ought to register for Council Tax at my Mother's property now. It appears that as a full time  carer I should get an automatic disregard anyway. Presumably this would mean my Mum would lose her single person's discount but would somehow get a rebate to make the effect neutral. I all sounds a bit messy- has anyone got any experience of this? As I am over 60 and have been living full time at her address for at least the last 8 years I wonder if me being on the CT register will help when the crunch comes and she has to go into care, whether she will get her property disregarded for the care fees? I know I ought to sell my own property ASAP but it isn't an easy task as I am 24/7 looking after her.

Grateful for any advice.

You can only "register for Council Tax" where the occupying owner or the tenant is already registered, if you have an interest in the property, in other words being a joint owner or joint tenant respectively.


Adult children who live with their parents but are neither joint owners or joint tenants are not liable persons in respect of CT so their names should not appear on the CT bill. 

Briskly

Thanks -= maybe I phrased it wrongly. Surely my Mum will lose her single person's discount and I will have to go down as a carer and claim the carer's disregard?

lincroft1710

Briskly said:

Thanks -= maybe I phrased it wrongly. Surely my Mum will lose her single person's discount and I will have to go down as a carer and claim the carer's disregard?

I don't know enough about that aspect to comment, it is complex as there are conditions that both the carer and person being cared for have to comply with. I just replied to the part about you "registering for CT" which is a different subject. Unless you are a joint owner of your mother's property, it will not be disregarded for care home fees and if your mother transfers an interest in it to you it will be regarded as "deprivation of assets" which I suggest you Google