THOUSANDS of households could be entitled to a council tax refund worth thousands – after Martin Lewis revealed the tip.
The daughter of Brenda Twelves, 88, exclusively told The Sun how her mother got a £7,500 council tax refund after following the MoneySavingExpert's tip.
And like Brenda, tens of thousands of people in England, Scotland and Wales could be entitled to money off their council tax bills.
Anyone suffering from a "severe mental impairment" (SMI) is able to claim a council tax reduction, according to Martin Lewis.
The discount could range from 25% all the way up to 100% – with some households entirely exempt from paying any council tax.
Brenda aged 83 at the time, suffered a major stroke back in 2017 which "threatened to take away the independence she so valued," said her daughter Deborah Twelves.
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But despite suffering, Deborah said that her mother has managed to regain all her independence and still lives at her own home in Ponteland, Northumberland.
But it took until this year when Deborah watched an episode of the Martin Lewis Money show to enquire about any potential discount council tax discount for her mother.
She said: "Having seen the show earlier in the year about Council tax exemptions for severe mental impairment, I persuaded Mum that I should apply for it on her behalf.
"She never wanted to claim any kind of benefits and always felt they should be able to get by on their own means."
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But to Deborah's surprise, Northumberland County Council awarded her mother £7,500 in money back.
And it was as simple as filling in a form and proving Brenda's impairment with a GP note.
This was because Brenda was eligible for an SMI council tax reduction since her stroke back in 2017 and the council backdated the discount over the last four years.
When discussing the success of the claim Deborah said: "I am absolutely over the moon to have been able to do this for my mum and give her some good news when there is so much negativity around."
Brenda plans to buy herself a riser recliner chair, which will allow her to sit in comfort, as she has decreased mobility due to both the stroke and osteoarthritis.
Deborah said of the tip: "I would like to say a huge thank you to Martin Lewis and his team for all their hard work and dedication to making things better for people."
We've explained in full everything you need to know about the severely mentally impaired council tax discount.
What is the severe mentally impaired discount?
This allows households to apply for a discount on their council tax bill if you or someone they live with is severely mentally impaired.
To be eligible for the discount 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 which you can check with your local council.
Receiving any of the following benefits as well as confirmation of being severely mentally impaired will make you eligible for a council tax discount:
- Universal Credit
- Incapacity benefit
- Attendance allowance
- Severe disablement allowance
- Disability living allowance (higher or middle-rate care component)
- Disability working allowance
- Increase in disablement pension (due to constant attendance being needed)
- Unemployability supplement or allowance
- Constant attendance allowance
- Income support (which includes a disability premium)
- Personal independence payment (standard or enhanced daily living component)
- Armed forces independence payment
How much is the discount worth?
If you qualify as severely mentally impaired you’ll get a 100% 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
If nobody else in your home is classed as severely mentally impaired and is disregarded from paying council tax like live-in carers – your council tax will be reduced by 50%.
And if you live with someone who is severely mentally impaired you’ll get a 25% discount as long as either:
- There are no other adults in your household
- Everyone else in your home is disregarded
Your income and savings won’t affect whether you can get this discount.
How do you apply for a council tax discount?
The process you have to follow to launch a successful claim varies depending on where you live.
If you live in England or Scotland, you should contact your local authority to ask for the form.
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If you live in Wales, there is a national scheme. You can download the form from the Welsh Government website.
For full details on claiming council tax reduction visit the Government's website.
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