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If has been rumoured that the Government may remove single occupancy council tax discount in the 30th October budget; <\/p>\n
Under the present laws some 250,000 (i) people living at home with Dementia or other forms of Severe Mental Impairment will lose the 25% discount and those living alone with dementia may have their full council tax reinstated.<\/p>\n
The law states that people with SMI may be “disregarded” for the purpose of assessing Council Tax. (ii)<\/p>\n
A household with two people, one of which has Dementia are entitled to claim that the person with SMI is “disregarded”, they then become a single occupancy household, which if the proposal goes ahead they will lose the 25% discount. People with SMI living alone when disregarded are exempted and pay no Council Tax (iii)<\/p>\n
With over 90% of people living with dementia being over pensionable age (iv) this, on top of the removal of the winter fuel allowance, will hit pensioners yet again.<\/p>\n
My very sincerest regards<\/p>\n
Derek (Brown)<\/p>\n
42 Mowbray Road<\/p>\n
Northallerton<\/p>\n
North Yorkshire<\/p>\n
DL6 1QU<\/p>\n
01609780358<\/p>\n
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Notes:-<\/p>\n
My wife, Margaret was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease in early 2018, she is now in a downstairs hospital bed and confined to a wheelchair <\/p>\n
I have been campaigning for some time to start Council Tax SMI Disregards from the date of GP certification.<\/p>\n
In December 2020 I took our local Council to the High Court on this issue and in preparation I conducted a Freedom of Information request which I repeated in January 2023.<\/p>\n
References:-<\/p>\n
(i) According to the Freedom of Information request, as at 1 January 2023, in England there were a total of 201,601 people with SMI receiving Discounts and Exemptions, In Wales 12,641. In Scotland 36,101, and in Northern Ireland 191, totalling 250,534 (100% councils responding). [ A speadsheet of all FOI responses available on request ]<\/p>\n
(ii) Local Government Finance Act 1992, Schedule 1, Section 2(1) https:\/\/www.legislation.gov.uk\/ukpga\/1992\/14\/schedule\/1<\/a><\/p>\n (iii) GOV.UK , How Council Tax works, Discounts for severely mentally impaired people https:\/\/www.gov.uk\/council-tax\/discounts-for-disabled-people<\/a><\/p>\n (iv) According to the Alzheimer’s Society, 7.8% of people with dementia are under 65. i.e 92% are over 65 https:\/\/www.alzheimers.org.uk\/about-dementia\/types-dementia\/young-onset-dementia<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n