council tax

[dmc]

Hi everyone

just a quick question my dad was told he could get a discount on his council tax due to mums health, we filled in the form got the doctor to sign it, but they've said as my mums in and out of hospital he cannot claim, has anybody had problems like this any feedback would help

many thanks

 

[bernie]

Your mother may not count as a resident due to severe mental impairment. IE your father may qualify for single occupancy discount.

I don't know what the relevance of your mother going in and out of hospital is. I think the council may misunderstand, they probably think you are trying to get a discount as your mother is living in the hospital.

 

[Amy]

I agree with Bernie, sounds as though there has been a misunderstanding. Dad was able to claim single person in residence allowance because of mum's illness.
Amy

 

[noelphobic]

I was just looking at the booklet that came with my council tax bill. One of the categories under which a person can be disregarded for the purposes of calculating the number of adults resident in a dwelling is

'people who are severely mentally impaired'.

I don't think my dad ever claimed for this when he and my mum were still living in their house. I wasn't even aware of it until now!

If only one adult is counted for council tax purposes then they are entitled to a discount of 25%.

 

[Brucie]

I get the 25% discount now that Jan lives in her care home, and I am here alone.

 

[noelphobic]

I think that's slightly different Bruce. I get the 25% discount because there is only myself and my 17 year old who is still at school living here. The discount for 'severe mental impairment' can presumably apply even when the person in question is still living there full time.

I do wonder whether I might qualify to be disregarded in my own right?!!!!!!!!!

 

[gerrie ley]

discount

My wife has alzheimers we receive a 25% discount on our council tax.We were awarded this at the same time as we received attendance allowance.It looks like your council is judging that the patient is spending more time in hospital than at home.I feel sure they would listen to your case

 

[Norman]

I also get the discount because of my Wife's mental impairment.
Norman

 

[Tender Face]

Donna, this is a really interesting point. When I looked into being able to claim Carer's Allowance I realised the nonsense of being able to say I 'cared' (using that term very loosely!) for 35 hours per week EVERY WEEK, on a week-by-week basis.

(As if we haven't got enough to do but document each minute spent - and can we claim 'carers' time for being on TP getting support for ourselves and those we care for - I should damned well think so!)

One week, with hospital prep and appointments on top of the usual 'caring' - shopping, cooking, cleaning (do they count us 'keeping them company' and perhaps rescuing them from depression?) I was in excess of 60 hours when I stopped counting! (And I'm sure that's nothing compared to some here!). Next week, because I know she's got friends calling in and no appointments, I might be down to 20 hours... am I supposed to find the time (which I assume I can record) to document all that? Or make sure I spend an extra half hour bathing mum one week just to make sure I have reached my 'quota'?

(And no, I'm not claiming anything. For the mo, I'm hanging on to my little part-time job, looking after my family and can still find 60 hours per week for mum when I need to - talk about workhouse days.... or should that be workhorse - I'm sure the RSPCA would be concerned if they knew what some of us have to do.... and then how we are treated with scraps......)

Can someone in National/Local govt not realise that some of us are not driven by blasted paperwork and use some bloody common sense? Surely, they can 'average' - and realise this life is anything but average!

I've never understood either why being in hospital should make such a difference to Attendance Allowance or anything else for that matter. Swap caring at home for transport and laundry costs and supplementing food etc etc and I've never seen any difference - if anything in my case mum being in hospital has usually seen me in deficit!!!!

Sorry, angry tonight. I just think 'on top of everything else' we don't need stingy, bureaucratic idiots hindering us.

(I’ll let someone else pick up on the 25% when it should be 50%, surely?)

Good luck for your dad, Donna! Well done you, keep fighting….

 

[noelphobic]

If two people live in a house and one of them is 'disregarded' for council tax purposes, then the reduction is only ever 25%, regardless of the reason for the 'disregard'. For instance, as a single parent with a school age child my council tax is reduced by 25%.

 

[connie]

I too get 25% reduction on council tax, on the grounds of Lionel having A.D

I understand the reduction is only ever 25%, whatever the circunstances....i.e
when my husband died some years age I got a 25% reduction for single occupancy of the house.

Hope this helps, Connie

 

[Tender Face]

Percentages!

My son is battling with percentages for maths homework.

I posed him the following problem (for extra practise!!!!)

"When Grandma and Grandad lived together they paid 100% council tax.
Since Grandma has lived on her own she pays 75%"

So... we start on the logic (on which all maths is surely based....? Well, it was in my day!).....

If two people pay one hundred per cent between them, then only one person pays....?????? ....how does that equate to 75%???? .....no wonder our children's education is suffering.....!!!!

I'll ask school to explain this to him in 'Citizenship', or whatever they call it these days.... it sure ain't logic and a problem for the maths teacher! And I can't find a reasonable explanation....

 

[noelphobic]

I might be wrong but I think the Poll Tax, that everyone loved so much worked on the principle of each person paying a certain amount. Therefore if there were a large number of adults in a household the Poll Tax would be levied on that basis.

 

[dmc]

WOW

thankyou so much everyone for your input, i shall certainly be looking futher into this

The lady who came out to visit my dad from social services told him he could claim (we didnt know he could till then) she gave him the form which we filled in, at the time my mum was home, since then she's gone back in mainly for respite dad intends to have her home again, he's just had a stairlift fitted for this reason, the hopital has told us that mum can go in for respite whenever as they keep a bed "open" for people who need respite.

my dad is absolutly shattered by the suddeness of mums illness he's on antidepressants and sleeping tablets at the moment its hard work trying to keep him going without all this on top.

many thanks again

 

[Brucie]

my dad is absolutely shattered by the suddeness of mums illness he's on antidepressants and sleeping tablets at the moment its hard work trying to keep him going without all this on top.

I'd be ensuring the minimum of the medications are available to your Dad at any one time, though that may be difficult.

At one stage I started stockpiling both Jan's and my own medications for my use in case it all got too much for me, along with some 150 proof rum. Came close to using them too.

 

[gerrie ley]

grants

Whilst on the question of grants does everyone know that there is a government grant of up to £2700 to provide a warmer home for people getting attendance allowance.This is for home owners and covers full central heating,boiler replacements,gas wall heaters, gas repairs to boilers and central heating,cavity wall and loft insulation and draught proofing.You need to apply to Warm Front on 0800 0688 789 I suppose that is a national number if not they will give you a contact number for your area. They fill out an application form and then in about four to six weeks someone will come to inspect your house and discuss your needs.We have had the cavity walls done and the loft insulation and we are hoping to have our boiler changed as its over thirty years old and doesnt always work.You perhaps all know about it but I thought it worth a mention.

 

[dmc]

I'd be ensuring the minimum of the medications are available to your Dad at any one time, though that may be difficult.

Hi brucie

dont worry im keeping a firm eye on him, he's on a low dose of antidepressants and the doctor is only giving him sleeping tablets on a weekly basis, although i dont know if he's taking them

Im going to have to check now, i hadn't even thought of him stockpiling them
another item to add to my neverending "to do" list,
thanks for the warning

 

[dmc]

council tax update

Hello all

just thought i'd give you a quick update my brother actually rang the CT people yesterday, and the "kind" lady on the other end informed him that when mum comes out of hospital my dad can claim when she goes back in he has to inform them (claim cancelled) when she comes home again he can claim and so on and so on......
a bit like doing the hokey cokey dont you think!!

 

[Amy]

Hiya Donna,
Did your brother explain that mum had dementia. It is definitely the case with Council tax in England that those with severe mental impairment do not pay. It sounds as though your "nice" lady is just looking at a physical illness requiring hospitalisation.
Why don't you phone up and make a general enquiry; say mum has AD and don't mention that she is in hospital. Say you know that in England there is definitely a 25% rebate.
Just an idea.
Amy

 

[Amy]

Hiya Donna,
me again. Don't know how to put in a website link, so I'll just have to give you an address

www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/ctax/ctaxbillguide.pdf

Section 10 How do discounts work, then look on page 11 of 26.

Hope this helps.
Amy