Obscure ‘Council Tax Support’ Exemption Criteria

“On page 111 of the council tax 2013-14 support document it mentions a carer premium is available if you meet the criteria in schedule 3 (17) housing benefit regulations 2006 on page 112 carer premium is available this is newcastle under lymes own own council tax support 2013-14 pdf so why are they telling everyone that getting carers allowance will not make any difference to the 20% that we will have to pay? It quite clearly states that £33 is available as a premium”

“@Dazwozere
Newcastle BC don't seem to have picked ESA Support Group as a route to support based on 100% Council Tax - from the regs on their website they're just going for severe disability premium and people entitled to a war disablement pension, war widow's pension or armed forces compensation scheme payment.

Stoke-on-Trent have adopted ESA support group as entitled to support based on 100% rather than 70%, as well as 'SDP' and war pensioners, plus the under 25s on JSA complying with Jobcentre plus directions (benefit not sanctioned).”

“LongTallSarah, do you think that Newcastle borough will allow those on the support component of ESA to get 100% exemption? What is happening in Stoke regarding ESA, do you know?”

“I'd guess the Newcastle BC spokesperson was working on a single occupier of a Band A property - so 75% discount, then eligible for benefit for 80% of the remainder.

But still not grasping that higher rate DLA for care doesn't automatically get you a 'severe disability premium'...”

“"Everybody else on benefits will have to pay 20% of the bill.
For example, if you are in one bedroom flat and claiming benefits your Council Tax bill will be in the region of £144 per year (or approximately £14 per month)."

My Band 'A' Council tax is £1000 a year,20% of which would be £200,not £144 as quoted - is there a band cheaper than Band A that they've not told us about?”

“Thanks for posting this Kevin - it highlights a very bizarre element of several local council's Council Tax Support Schemes, using eligibility for an element of means-tested benefits and calculations called the 'severe disability premium' (SDP) to define 'severe disability', and to give entitlement to a potential 100% reduction, rather than the usual 70% or 80% maximum for working age claimants.

To be entitled to a 'severe disability premium' in the calculation of your benefit, you must meet three conditions. Firstly, you need to qualify for Disability Living Allowance at the middle or higher rate for care - arguably, a reasonable measure of severe disability. But the other two qualifying criteria aren't about the extent of your disability at all. For the SDP, you must also 'live alone' (although certain other disabled people, children and young people in your household are ignored) and not have a carer claiming Carers Allowance for looking after you.

The consequence of adopting this benchmark is that you might have two people living next door to each other in identical properties, with identical health problems, both entitled to DLA at the middle or higher rate for care and receiving identical benefits. One has a single regular carer who claims Carers Allowance: the other has two carers who share the role, so neither provides sufficient hours of care to qualify for Carers Allowance. The first claimant doesn't qualify for a 'severe disability premium' and so can receive no more than 70% or 80% of their Council Tax bill in benefit, no matter how poor. The other, simply on account of having different arrangements to provide the same level of care, can receive up to 100%.

If the intention was to devise a scheme to protect the entitlement of severely disabled people, it would have been easier for claimants and advisers to understand, and fairer, to link it to entitlement to DLA, or particular components of it.”