{"id":116612,"date":"2026-01-13T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/?p=116612"},"modified":"2026-01-13T00:46:17","modified_gmt":"2026-01-13T00:46:17","slug":"thousands-missing-out-on-1000-council-tax","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/thousands-missing-out-on-1000-council-tax\/","title":{"rendered":"Thousands Missing Out on \u00a31,000 Council Tax Discount, Check If You Qualify!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Unpaid carers providing full-time support to family members could be eligible for significant council tax discounts under a little-known scheme. But many have likely missed out, after almost 150 councils<\/strong> either provided inaccurate online guidance or failed to mention the support altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A recent investigation by Money Saving Expert <\/strong>has revealed that numerous councils are failing to promote the Live-in Carer Council Tax Discount Scheme<\/em> correctly. The scheme allows eligible carers to claim between 25%<\/strong> and 50%<\/strong> off their annual bill, depending on specific criteria. In real terms, this translates to savings of between \u00a3500 and \u00a31,000 a year. Given the number of affected councils, potentially millions of carers are paying more than they should.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Widespread Online Misinformation Could Mean Lost Benefits for Millions<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to the investigation, nearly 70 <\/strong>local authorities were found to have published incorrect eligibility criteria for the carer discount on their websites. In addition, 80 <\/strong>more councils failed to provide accessible information on the scheme, making it harder for residents to check their status or apply for relief. Altogether, this represents close to half <\/strong>of all UK councils responsible for collecting council tax.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The scheme applies to unpaid carers who live in the same property as the person they care for and provide more than 35 hours of care each week<\/strong>. Importantly, carers are not counted as qualifying residents for council tax purposes. This means a household with just one qualifying adult and a carer can still receive a 25% single person discount<\/em>. If the person being cared for is considered severely mentally impaired<\/em>, the discount increases to 50%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The lack of correct information has led to confusion and missed opportunities. According to Martin Lewis<\/strong>, founder of Money Saving Expert, carers who were previously denied the discount based on misleading council guidance should revisit their eligibility using Carers UK<\/a><\/em> as a reference point rather than relying on council websites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carers Urged to Check Eligibility and Request Backdated Refunds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

According to Lewis, those who discover they are eligible may not only apply for future discounts but should also ask councils for backdated refunds. While councils are not obligated to grant retrospective payments<\/strong>, some may agree to do so upon request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To qualify, the carer must not be a spouse, partner, or child under 18 of the person receiving care. The care recipient must also receive a qualifying disability benefit, such as the Personal Independence Payment<\/em> (daily living component), Attendance Allowance<\/em>, or Disability Living Allowance<\/em> at specified rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Local Government Association<\/strong> stated: \u201cCouncils provide a range of advice and guidance for local people for help with council tax, housing benefit, and applications for council-delivered welfare support available in their area<\/em>.\u201d The association encouraged residents to reach out to local council tax <\/a>and welfare teams for accurate information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some councils have already responded to the findings. According to The Sun<\/em>, authorities such as Barnet<\/strong>, North Norfolk<\/strong>, Cheltenham<\/strong>, and Tunbridge Wells <\/strong>have updated their websites. Broxbourne Council acknowledged that its information \u201cwas not as accessible as it could be\u201d and pledged to make improvements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carers can begin the application process through their local council or visit gov.uk\/apply-council-tax-reduction<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong>for more details. Required documents typically include a National Insurance number, proof of income or benefits, and official identification. Many carers remain unaware of the relief they\u2019re entitled to. Given the financial pressures facing low-income households and unpaid caregivers, clarity and visibility of such schemes may have a tangible impact.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

An error affecting nearly half of all UK local councils could mean unpaid carers have missed out on up to \u00a31,000 annually. Outdated or missing information on council websites has left millions unaware they may qualify for tax relief.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":116614,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-116612","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-taxation","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116612","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=116612"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116612\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":116625,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/116612\/revisions\/116625"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=116612"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=116612"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=116612"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}