Martin Lewis has slammed councils accused of giving residents incorrect information about council tax discounts worth hundreds of pounds.
Around one in five (69) councils in England and Wales were found to not offer accurate or up-to-date information online about the live-in carer council tax discount, according to an investigation by MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE).
This was likely to put off many of the UK’s five million carers from claiming what they are entitled to, the consumer site founded by Mr Lewis said.
The discount can lower council tax by 25 or 50 per cent, equating to a typical £500 or £1,000 a year.
A further 80 councils did not include any information about qualifying benefits needed to get the discount, MSE found, in another deterrent for those who might be eligible.
Martin Lewis, founder of MoneySavingExpert, said: “Unpaid carers can’t trust councils’ information about Carers’ Council Tax discounts. All carers who thought they weren’t eligible after checking councils’ websites should check again (use Carers UK’s help pages). If you did miss out due to councils’ poor info, ask for a backdated discount to the point of first eligibility, though different councils have different rules.
“Thirty-five hours a week of unpaid caring is no small feat. This army of up to five million carers provides a silent and often un-thanked backbone that takes a burden off the NHS and care system – reducing the cost to the state.”
The money expert added that the issue is “made worse” by official Gov.uk pages about council tax also not including the information about qualifying benefits for council tax. He said that he has written to all the councils involved to ask them to update their information.
The likely explanation for the oversight, Mr Lewis added, is that carer rules were changed in 2013 – and many councils haven’t updated their online guidance since.
To qualify for the discount, applicants must provide at least 35 hours of free care a week to somebody in their household who isn’t a spouse, partner, or child under 18.
That person must also be receiving a number of qualifying benefits, including attendance allowance, disability allowance, and – since 2013 – the personal independence payment (PIP).
Helen Walker, chief executive at Carers UK, said: “Unpaid carers provide support worth a staggering £184 billion to the UK economy each year, but this comes at a significant personal and financial cost. They are often at a financial disadvantage because caring for someone can impact your ability to work and additional expenses – such as specialist food and clothing, and higher electricity bills – add to everyday living costs.
“It’s simply unacceptable that carers are presented with the wrong information when they are so urgently in need of help. It’s essential that they have the right facts about council tax discount in front of them to help them claim what they’re entitled to.”
The Independent has approached the Local Government Association, the national membership body for councils in England, for comment.
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