Money-saving guru Martin Lewis has highlighted a little-known council tax discount that could benefit those living with dementia, revealing that many local authorities are oblivious to the potential savings for vulnerable individuals and their families. The financial whizz emphasised the importance of an official diagnosis to access what’s known as a severe mental impairment (SMI) discount.
Speaking out, Mr Lewis explained: “When I first launched my campaign on it in 2016, we found that many councils, front line staff, didn’t know about it when they were asked about it.”
He continued, detailing the criteria for the discount: “A severe mental impairment. Horrible term, not mine. An SMI is defined as a severe mental impairment of intelligence and social functioning, which appears to be permanent. To qualify for to be discounted, it must be medically certified. You need a doctor to sign this.”
Mr Lewis went on to clarify who might be eligible: “It is common with severe dementia, stroke, severe Parkinson’s, brain injuries and other conditions. Those are the type of conditions that will get an SMI to claim it. That person must also be on a qualifying benefit in Scotland. Actually, they must be eligible for a qualifying benefit, even if they’re not actually claiming it.”
According to money-saving expert Martin Lewis, a significantly underclaimed benefit is Attendance Allowance, which he described as ‘massively under claimed’. This benefit could extend to those receiving a variety of supports such as disability living allowance, personal independence payments, severe disablement allowance and, in certain circumstances, universal credit.
He stressed: “So really big. If you know someone in that situation. Often people in that situation can’t claim for themselves. Very common is that someone with an SMI is living with their partner, so the 25% discount is the most common one there, and it will generally be the partner who is claiming, and you can do it on their behalf as long as it’s all kosher.”
In an inspiring revelation on The Martin Lewis Money Show Live, presenter Jeanette Kwakye highlighted a success story, reading out: “I helped a friend to claim SMI due to a dementia diagnosis. They received £1,100 in back payment and their monthly payment has gone from £162 pounds. So thank you so so much in that.”
