Severe mental impairment Council Tax discount or exemption

If you or a member of your household has a severe mental impairment, you may be eligible for a discount on your Council Tax.

This includes people who have:

• Alzheimer's
• Parkinson's
• suffered a stroke
• severe learning difficulties
• suffered an impairment due to an injury

Check if you're eligible

To receive the discount, someone living at the property must be medically certified as having a severe mental impairment and receiving at least 1 of the following benefits:

• Attendance Allowance
• Employment and Support Allowance (which must include the support component)
• Care component of a Disability Living Allowance payable at either the middle or highest rate (the lowest rate will not qualify)
• the standard or enhanced rate of the daily living component of Personal Independence Payment
• Universal Credit (where it includes an element for limited capability for work or limited capability for work and work-related activity).
• Severe Disablement Allowance
• Incapacity Benefit
• an increase in the rate of Disablement Pension (where constant attendance needed)
• Disabled Person’s Tax Credit
• an unemployability supplement or allowance
• an unemployability allowance
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• Income Support which includes a disability premium
• a premium added to their partner’s Jobseeker’s Allowance

If all adult residents are severely mentally impaired (or students) and would otherwise be liable to pay Council Tax, a 100% exemption will apply.

If all but one of the adult residents is entitled to a discount, a 25% discount will apply.

Where a landlord is liable for Council Tax and all residents have a severe mental impairment or otherwise qualify for a discount, the landlord will receive a 50% discount.

Properties occupied only by people with a severe mental impairment

If a property is occupied only by severely mentally impaired people, it’s exempt from Council Tax. This does not apply if someone else is liable to pay the Council Tax. For example, for a house in multiple occupation or a care home.

How to apply

To apply for an exemption, please complete our form. You’ll need to know your Council Tax account number.

For Bournemouth residents:

Along with your application, we need your doctor to complete the doctor’s supporting letter for a person with a mental impairment.

You can upload this with your application or ask your doctor to return it to us by email to counciltax.bournemouth@bcpcouncil.gov.uk.

For Christchurch residents:

For Poole residents:

Please contact us if you need any help with completing the application form.