Time for the government to fully fund council tax relief for dementia sufferers, say Lib Dems
Date published: 29 January 2018
Councillor Howard Sykes MBE
The Leader of the Opposition and of the Liberal Democrat Group on Oldham Council, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE has written to the Minister responsible for the care of dementia sufferers calling on the Government to “provide 100% reimbursement by central government” to councils exempting those with dementia from council tax.
Under council tax regulations, Dementia is classed as a ‘severe mental impairment’ meaning that sufferers living alone are entitled to a 100 percent exemption from council tax, whilst a household with a dementia sufferer and a carer will still receive a 25% discount.
A recent report by Money Saving Expert found that up to 100,000 people with dementia or similar conditions could be wrongly paying council tax because they are unaware that they qualify for an exemption. Money Saving Expert found that two thirds of councils surveyed by mystery shoppers were unable to provide accurate information about the exemption and how to apply for it.
Councillor Sykes immediately wrote to the borough treasurer asking for assurance that Oldham Council was following best practice and is offering every assistance to dementia sufferers to access the exemption. In her response, Anne Ryans indicated that, although Oldham takes a pro-active approach, councils are not reimbursed by central government for the revenue they lose in applying exemptions.
Councillor Sykes said: “It is good that, as a council committed to being dementia friendly, Oldham are ahead of the game on this, but it is perverse that councils are dis-incentivised from promoting and applying the discount as they have to meet the cost themselves.
“I have written to the Minister responsible asking her quite simply to match the rhetoric of former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron that he would make ‘England the best country in the world for dementia care and support’ with hard cash.
“It is both tragic and immoral that dementia sufferers are in many instances still suffering the additional indignity of paying a charge for which they are not legally liable, whilst local councils, whose finances are already under severe strain, are perversely disincentivised from offering them a helping hand.”
