Severely Mentally Impaired Application

If you occupy a property with a person over 18 years old who is considered to be severally mentally impaired then that person qualifies for a discount. If a property is solely occupied by a severally mentally impaired person then it is exempt from Council Tax.

Definition

For the purposes of Council Tax someone is considered severely mentally impaired if s/he has a severe impairness of intelligence and social functioning (however caused) which appears to be permanent. This includes people who are severely mentally impaired as a result of a degenerative brain disorder such as Alzheimer's disease, stroke or further form of dementia. To count as severely mentally impaired the person concerned must have a certificate of confirmation from a registered Medical Practitioner.

In addition to qualify the disregard the person must be entitled to (though not necessarily in receipt of) one of the following benefits (or would do so apart from the fact that he or she has reached pensionable age):

Incapacity benefit - long term, short term for widows or widowers.
Attendance allowance.
Severe attendance allowance.
Higher or middle rate care component of disability living allowance.
Increase in disablement pension for constant attendance.
Disabled person tax credit, but only if this is because of the prior receipt of incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance or from 1 April 1997 income support which included a disability premium paid because of the claimants incapacity for work.
Constant attendance allowance payable under the industrial injuries or war pension schemes.
Unemployability supplement (abolished in 1987 but existing claimant's remain entitled).
Unemployability allowance payable under the industrial injuries or war pension schemes