I have a lady who looks after her mother & the mother gets AA. The mother has moved into the daughter's house. The daughter claims Bereavement Benefit.She has been trying to get a disregard on her council tax as a carer. The Disability Rights Handbook (p 55) say's that because of her circumstances she is a carer and should be disregarded for CT purposes. When I rang the CT office they tell me she cannot be disregarded, but but can apply for a discount. Where do I go from here?
Val

Mere semantics. She will have what is called a status discount. In other words she will be invisible, or disregarded if you like. She will still be liable but the liability should be reduced by 25%.

Thanks for your quick reply, but I don't understand what it means. If she is disregarded as a carer then surely she should't pay anything at all?

The council tax assessment is an assessment of liability on a dwelling with a presumption of two adults with their sole or main residence there. If one of those people is invisible then the liability is reduced by 25%, the value of the sole occupancy discount, as there is one person "still visible".

It can be horrendously complex unless you begin at the right starting point.

To get the carers discount the mother must have highest rate AA but for what illness. If Altzheimers then application for severely mentally impaired would further reduce liability. Does she have a physical condition requiring use of wheelchair for a downbanding?.

Could do the lot if the conditions apply.