Are you due a council tax refund? Martin Lewis reveals you could get £1,000s back
Tens of thousands of people could have overpaid on council tax because they are in the wrong band
TENS of thousands of people in the UK could be due a refund on their council tax, according to MoneySavingExpert.com.
found that some of those affected were in the wrong tax band while others were entitled to a full council tax refund due to having a severe mental impairment.
If a doctor has certified that someone has a permanent condition like Alzheimer's, parkinsons or a severe learning difficulty that hinders their intelligence or social functioning they have a legal right to have some or all of their council tax refunded.
Christine Peel from South Tynside got a backdated refund of £6,339 after her mother was diagnosed both Alzheimer's and Parkinsons in 2005.
As her mother had been living alone between 2005 and 2014, she was entitled to a 100 per cent refund on her council tax for that time.
Speaking to MSE, Christine said: "I had no idea people with mental impairments do not have to pay council tax until I saw a link to MSE's article on Facebook. I was interested because I saw it could be claimed retrospectively."
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"I thought it would be a lot of hassle, but once I got hold of all the evidence I received the refund within weeks."
"I am grateful to MSE as I would never have known that this refund was available - and wonder how many other people are not aware of this either."
If you live on your own and have a severe mental impairment you don't have to pay council tax and you can claim any council tax back that you have paid whilst you were living alone.
You are entitled to a 25 per cent discount if you live with an adult with severe mental impairment, or if all the adults in your home have medical conditions which mean they are exempt from paying council tax.
How do I apply for the council tax refund?
HERE is how to claim back any council tax you may be owed.
- Speak to your doctor about whether you have a severe mental impairment or not.
- If you do, then you need to ask you council for a Serious Mental Impairment application.
- After that you need to send the form back to the council with supporting evidence like your doctor's diagnosis.
- How long it takes to get your refund varies with different councils, so it is best to check with yours to see how long you will have to wait.
- Charities such as , and all offer free help and advice on how to claim back any council tax you are owed.
Kirsty Good, campaigns editor at Money Saving Expert said: "This discount exists to help some of society's most vulnerable people, but it's completely under-publicised."
"Even if potential claimants manage to hear about it, too many are given the run-around by their councils and struggle to make an application."
"The result is thousands of people have potentially been overpaying on their council tax for years."
Here is how to lower your council tax band and save £1,00 a year, and all you have to do start is talk to your neighbours.
Council tax costs poor families six times more than rich families as a proportion of their income, according to the Institute for Public Policy Research.
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