At Ramsdens, our Private Client, Court of Protection and Mental Health Solicitors assist people with all varieties of mental impairment living in a myriad of different circumstances.
One of the more common situations we come across is a married couple living together where one of them is living with some form of mental impairment often resulting from illnesses such as Parkinson’s, dementia or stroke.
This of course is a difficult situation for the couple to be in both emotionally and also financially with the increased costs of care for example.
There is, however, a rarely used council tax reduction from which many people in such a situation can benefit. The reduction applies where the person who suffers with the mental impairment is disregarded for council tax purposes, meaning there is only one person living in the property who can be taken into account and therefore, the single occupancy discount of 25% can be applied. This can not only serve to reduce the monthly outgoings but in many cases the reduction can be claimed retrospectively. Indeed, there have been instances where people have reported reclaiming up to £3,000.00.
According to charities such as the Alzheimer’s Association, Parkinson’s UK and the Stroke Association, awareness of the potential saving is very low among those affected, so if you think you may be entitled to the reduction or know someone who may be, we strongly urge you to check.
The Money Saving Expert includes a very handy guide on how to check if you are entitled to the reduction and how to make a claim.
If ever you need to discuss legal matters surrounding mental impairment, please contact our expert Private Client Team on 0800 988 3650, fill out our online enquiry form or text LAW to 67777.