Council tax rebates for dementia patients

Council tax rebates for dementia patients

Currently, anyone who is defined as “severely mentally impaired”, following a mental health diagnosis which includes dementia and who is entitled to various benefits (whether you are claiming them is irrelevant) may also be eligible for a discount on their council tax. For dementia patients and their families in Wales this will come as welcome news, as the ability to access this reduction was not widely known. This is a legal right and therefore if you have not been given this discount to date, you are entitled to apply for it and may also be due a refund from previous years’ payments. 

If you live with someone who has a severe mental impairment, you may be entitled to a 25% discount and if the person who is diagnosed with the mental impairment, lives on their own, they may be eligible for the full 100% discount. As with many benefits, just being diagnosed with a disease which impacts your brain, such as dementia, does not mean you are entitled to receive it. It is all based upon receiving adequate certification from a doctor who would need to confirm that an assessment had been carried out and that they were satisfied that the patient met the threshold.

Refunds due to dementia patients in Wales 

Recent press attention has highlighted that due to Welsh councils not releasing information about council tax discounts that were available to severely mentally impaired patients, they must issue refunds to those who were eligible. 

How do I claim?

Firstly you need to correct diagnosis form from your doctor, then you need to contact your local council to find out how you can apply for that discount. Remember that if they tell you that you have to be receiving benefits in order to apply, that is not correct, you only need to be eligible to receive those benefits, regardless of whether you actually claim them or not. If you feel overwhelmed by the prospect, or feel it is a hassle, why not see if someone else can help you? This is money that is due back to you and could help with modifications for your home to help support your dementia care.

For more information on the benefits that you may be eligible to receive, see our article here. We have more information on various important financial elements that can affect you as a dementia patient here