We base a full Council Tax bill on at least two adults living in a home.
If you live with someone who does not count as an adult, you can get a discount on your bill. You can find more information about who counts as an adult for Council Tax on GOV.UK.
We disregard anyone in the household who has (if they meet the requirements below):
- a severe mental impairment
- a physical impairment
Severe mental impairment
You can apply for a disregard for someone who has severe mental impairment if they:
- have a permanent severe impairment of intelligence and social functioning
- have a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner
- are claiming benefits
You can only apply for the disregard if the person with the severe mental impairment is claiming one of;
- Incapacity Benefit
- Attendance Allowance
- Constant Attendance Allowance
- Employment and Support Allowance
- Incapacity Benefit
- Severe Disablement Allowance
- A Care Payment of a Disability Living Allowance
- Invalidity Pension
- Armed Forces Independence Payment
- Increased Disablement Pension because constant attendance allowance is required
- Disability Working Allowance
- Unemployability Supplement or Allowance
- PIP or Care Component of Disability Living Allowance at the middle of higher rate
- Income support including a disability premium on the grounds which include incapacity for work
- Universal Credit – Must include the limited capability for work element
Application for Severe Mental Impairment you will need:
- your Council Tax account number
- your name, address, and contact details
- details of the person with the severe mental impairment
- details of the benefits they are claiming (listed above)
- a medical certificate from a registered medical practitioner, a doctor’s certificate is provided with the application form which can be signed by your GP and returned to us.
Physically impaired
You can email us for a reduction for a person with a physical impairment where there is one of;
- a room other than a bathroom, kitchen or lavatory is used predominantly by the disabled person (e.g. an extension or existing room used for storing dialysis equipment or a wheelchair, or a bedroom on the ground floor of a dwelling with 2 or more storeys)
- a second bathroom or kitchen
- extra space in the home to allow a wheelchair to be used indoors (the disabled person must use the wheelchair indoors).
The property will be charged at one band lower than the true valuation of the property, providing the property is not already valued in Band A. If your property is in Band A, the reduction will be 1/9 of Band D.
To apply for this disregard/relief, you should contact us via email counciltax@braintree.gov.uk
As part of your physical impairment application, you will be required to provide photographic evidence showing the adaptations made and photographs of the room required to meet the needs of the disabled person. If you are unable to provide photographic evidence, a member of staff will visit the property to check the requirements are met.
