changes to rules on council tax discount for carers?

Just noticed the following amendment regs regarding council tax discounts - http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2013/725/made.

Althought the explanatory note refers to care workers, it appears to me that the amendments in question allow a live in carer (with the normal exceptions of a partner or parent of a child aged under 18) to be discounted if the cared for person is getting the middle rate of DLA care or any rate of Attendance Allowance, rather than restricting entitlement to high rate awards only.

Is my reading of this right? Suppose it would make sense given that carers of someone on either rate of the PIP daily component can be discounted.

This is interesting, I agree with your reading - but if thats right it’s odd that it hasn’t been picked up as it’s a fairly substantial change.

Jane

I suspect that it is just that so much else has happened in the world of Benefits and Council Tax at the same time.

I agree, in previous years this would have made a much bigger splash.

Hi J Membery

Since you work for a LA can you confirm that these new rules apply to council tax discounts for family carers in your area? If so was there any circular or other guidance published to advertise these changes?

Thanks a lot. I need to be 100% that this is right before I updated all our council tax materials.

Derek

Yes, we interpreted them in the same way that you do.

There was nothing (at least nothing that we noticed) to advertise these changes at all.

I, just out of habit, look at the list of Government legislation passed for Council Tax and HB once every few months and noticed these regulations.

Jeff

I have now been contacted by a number of other LAs in light of this issue being raised on Rightsnet.
Many Councils are not aware of this change as it was not announced at all as far as anyone can tell.

It might be worth Rightsnet subscribers making certain their local LAs are aware of the change.

http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/jt201314/jtselect/jtstatin/5/510.htm

... Although these Regulations were finalised at the beginning of March they were not made then because of an administrative oversight. The Department will review its internal processes to ensure that such an oversight is not made in future.

For the benefit of anyone from north of the border I should make clear that these changes do not appear to apply in Scotland. However they have been extended to Wales - see http://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2013/639/regulation/2/made