Council Tax Benefit

There are a number ways a Carer might get a discount on their Council Tax.

Council Tax Benefit

This benefit helps people to pay part or all of their Council Tax if they are on a low income. You may get Council Tax Benefit if you pay Council Tax and your income and savings are £16,000 or below. You cannot claim if your savings are more than £16,000, unless you're aged 60 or over and getting the 'guarantee credit' of Pension Credit.

If you receive Carers Allowance you may be able to get extra help paying your Council Tax through Carer Premium.

Disabled Band Reduction Scheme

You may be able to get a reduction to your Council Tax which does not depend on your income or savings. For instance, the tax may be reduced if your home is adapted for a disabled person or if a Carer or paid care worker lives there.

The requirements for a reduction are that the property must be the main residence of at least one disabled person and it must have at least one of the following:

an additional bathroom or kitchen required to meet the needs of the disabled person
a room (other than a bathroom, kitchen or toilet) required to meet the needs of the disabled person, and used predominantly by them
extra space inside the property to allow for the use of a wheelchair - wheelchairs for outdoor use only are excluded.

If your home is eligible, your bill will be reduced to that of a property in the next Council Tax band down. For example, a Band D property will be charged a Band C rate.

Other Council Tax Reductions

People who are severely mentally impaired are not counted when adding up the number of people in a property.So for example if a husband and wife were living together and one had a severe mental impairment, they would get the usual discount of 25% that a single adult living alone would get. No Council Tax is payable on a property occupied solely by people with a severe mental impairment. (For Council Tax purposes, a person is severely mentally impaired if they have a severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning which appears to be permanent).

Council Tax Discount for Carers

To qualify for this discount you must provide care for at least 35 hours a week and:

live with the person you are caring for
care for someone who receives either the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance OR the higher rate of Attendance Allowance or Constant Attendance Allowance.
the person you are caring for can't be your spouse, partner or child under 18 years old.

You don't have to claim Carer's Allowance to qualify for this discount. If there is more than one Carer in the property, each Carer might qualify for a discount. The Carer's council tax discount can be backdated, so long as you met the conditions above in previous years.

If you move to live with the person you are caring for you may be exempt from paying Council Tax. Write to your council and tell them:

the date you left your house and that it is unoccupied
that you are caring for someone
your new address (provide some proof, like a bill) and the name of the person you are caring for
the level and type of care you are providing
whether you intend to return.

For further details and how to apply for your Council Tax Benefit or reduction contact your local council tax office:

Aylesbury Vale District Council - 01296 585858

Chiltern District Council - 01494 732078

South Bucks District Council - 01895 837515

Wycombe District Council - 01494 461000

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