There are five conditions that can exempt you from having to pay council tax.
Brits living with a range of health conditions could be exempt from paying a certain monthly bill. The Government has advised that people with severe mental impairment do not need to pay council tax.
Council tax is set by your local authority and helps councils pay for the services they provide, such as bin collections and road maintenance. The amount of council tax you pay depends on the valuation band your home is in and what council area you live in.
When it comes to paying council tax, some people are exempt and are therefore not counted when working out how many people live in a property. GOV.UK explains: “A full council tax bill is based on at least two adults living in a home.
“Spouses and partners who live together are jointly responsible for paying the bill. Some people are not counted (‘disregarded’) when working out how many people live in a property.
“This means you might be able to apply for a discount on your council tax bill if you get one.” You will be disregarded from paying council tax if you have a severe mental impairment (SMI).
The following conditions are classed as an SMI:
- Multiple sclerosis
- Learning difficulties
- Parkinson’s
- Dementia (including Alzheimer’s)
- Long last effects of a severe stroke.
“Although the above is a list of conditions that are classed as part of SMI, a person will need a doctor’s diagnosis to be able to apply for the council tax discount,” GOV.UK warns. To apply for this exemption, you’ll need to:
- Get a certificate to say you’re severely mentally impaired from a medical professional, such as your GP
- Prove your eligibility for certain benefits – check with your local council.
If you qualify as severely mentally impaired you’ll get a 100 per cent discount if you qualify as severely mentally impaired and one of the following applies:
- You live on your own
- Any other adults in your household either qualify as severely mentally impaired or are full-time students.
There’ll be a 50 per cent discount on the council tax bill if everyone else in your household is “disregarded”. Other factors that disregard you from paying council tax include if you are:
- Under 18 years old
- On certain apprentice schemes
- 18 or 19 years old and in full-time education
- A full-time student at college or university
- Under 25 years old and get funding from the Education and Skills Funding Agency
- A student nurse
- A foreign language assistant registered with the British Council
- A live-in carer for someone who is not your partner, spouse, or child under 18
- A diplomat.
You might also be able to apply for a council tax discount or exemption if you or someone you live with is disabled. This applies if you live in a larger property than you would need if you or another occupant were not disabled.
If you qualify, your bill will be reduced to the next lowest council tax band unless your home is already in the lowest band (band A) – in which case you’ll get a 17 per cent discount on your council tax bill instead.
You’ll have to show that you have either an extra bathroom, kitchen or other room that you need for the disabled person, or extra space inside the property for using a wheelchair.
Before checking your council tax, you’ll need to know three things:
- The valuation band for your home in England and Wales or in Scotland
- How much your local council charges for that band
- Whether you can get a discount or exemption from the full bill.
You can challenge your council tax band if you think your home is in the wrong valuation band. To find out more visit gov.uk/apply-for-council-tax-discount.