Martin Lewis has warned unpaid carers not to rely on council websites for information about the live-in Carer Council Tax discount, after an investigation found that many councils provide incorrect or incomplete details. The discount can reduce a council tax bill by 25% or 50%, typically worth around £500 a year.
MoneySavingExpert.com checked the online information of more than 200 councils in England and Wales. It found that 69 councils, including seven London boroughs, display incomplete and therefore incorrect criteria. A further 80 councils failed to include any easily available information online about the qualifying benefits needed to get the discount.
The discount applies to unpaid carers who provide at least 35 hours of free care a week to someone in their household who is not a spouse, partner or child under 18. The person being cared for must receive one of several disability benefits. Many councils have not updated their websites since rules changed in 2013, leading to the exclusion of common disability benefits from their information.
Lewis said: “Unpaid carers can’t trust councils’ information about Carers’ Council Tax discounts. All Carers who thought they weren’t eligible after checking councils’ websites should check again.” He urged those who missed out to ask for a backdated discount to the point of first eligibility, though rules vary by council.
Helen Walker, chief executive of Carers UK, said unpaid carers provide support worth £184 billion to the UK economy each year, but at significant personal and financial cost. The discount is not means-tested, but many carers face financial stress. Lewis is writing to the councils involved and reporting the information lapse to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
