I’ll do that bowlingbun, but can they be trusted to perform even the simplest of tasks like carrying out their duty? Ayjay seems to think not. (Not unlike the liars I’ve met who work for social services and care agencies.) It is just not possible that these people have made this sort of error. Even all the obscurity over ‘exemptions’, ‘disregards’ and ‘discounts’ seems to me deliberate.
Many thanks for your help, David
The aim is to achieve the desired result with the minimum of effort.
So ring them and point them to the relevant .gov paragraph. If that doesn’t work with the first person, ask to speak to their line manager. If that doesn’t work,make a formal complaint, via the council’s website.
I’ll do this tomorrow, if they’re at work with the virus.
My eldest son works for the local council, in the engineering workshops, he’s worked right through. Although office staff are supposed to be working from home as much as possible, they should still be contactable. When No.1 is “on call” like this weekend, the “on call” phone is just redirected to his mobile.
I’ll let you know how I get along tomorrow evening.
Best wishes, David
Hi David
Please give our adviceline a ring or drop them an email, I am sure they’ll be able to help you with your situation.
They can be contacted on 0808 808 7777 from Monday to Friday, 9am - 6pm or email advice@carersuk.org. They’re quite quick at getting back to members although please bear in mind during lockdown it may take a few days.
good luck
Ingrid
Hello Ingrid
I did call earlier this year due to confusion over ‘exemptions’ and ‘disregards’ but from what I’ve just read very recently the local council here seem to be wrong. I’ll send in an email.
Many thanks, David
Although she read the last sentence of the section “‘Diregarded’ people” in ‘5.Council Tax Discounts’, the person I spoke with today refused to accept that my role as carer, although listed among those ‘disregarded’ people, is considered what the government affirms it to be and surely exempted.
Of course, my mum is “severely mentally impaired”, listed as a disregarded person and exempt from Council Tax (still awarded only 25% discount though). But the opening sentence under the section’s title “You will usually get a 50% discount if nobody living in your home, including you, is ‘counted’ for Council Tax” should be left there as I’m listed among those ‘disregarded people’ and both mum and I are the only residents.
Does this confusion stem from home ownership?
I was told to send in an email to the council for a clearer explanation.
David
I would send a different letter, asking them to clarify why they didn’t think you were classed as a carer?
(The definition of a carer is along the lines of you are a carer if the amount of work you do for someone else who is disabled has a significant impact on your own life).
If the person you care for has dementia, could she manage without someone caring for her, or would she be in a home by now, without you?
Do you claim carers allowance.
She did appear to class me as a carer and accept that I was on the “Disregarded people” list, bowlingbun. However, that issue over ‘exemptions’ and ‘disregarded people’ (within discounted people) seemed to be rearing its head again.
Although I am ‘disregarded’ I’m not ‘exempt’.
Yes, I do claim carer’s allowance now.
I didn’t for the first 3 years of mum’s diagnosis but I was still her only carer.
She did appear to class me as a carer
Send in a copy of your carers allowance.
Do you mean a copy of the account of where this benefit is paid into, sunnydisposition? Or is there a ‘hard copy’, so to speak? I’m not the most organised here, with one thing and another. I might have to send off somewhere for that evidence.
David
Ideally, the original copy when you received you first carers allowance. And/or your annual ones. Otherwise you might need to provide a copy of the payment into your bank account.
Hello sunnydisposition
I doubt I’ll be able to find the original copy here but I think even I could find a copy of the account that the benefit is paid into.
It’s odd they should even want a copy though as I’m the only person who deals with social services. Also, the woman I spoke with yesterday and the Revenues Officer of the Council Tax Team seemed to accept my role as mum’s carer.
I wonder if this means that those who are either too uncomfortable in their roles as carers or simply too ashamed to claim Carer’s Allowance face this sort of issue regarding Council Tax regularly?
Best wishes, David
It’s worse than that, some don’t even know that the term “severe mental impairment” means learning difficulties or dementia, and tell people they are not entitled when they are.
In fact the SMI exemption must be one of the most hidden benefits there is!
I’ve now helped people claim back thousands that they are rightly entitled to. Council employees are there to do their jobs, make sure that people pay the RIGHT Council Tax, not avoid paying by telling lies due to ignorance, or to save the council money.
I hadn’t heard of SMI until just now.
I thought I was being noble when I didn’t claim Carer’s Allowance (my pleasant GP years ago told me about it - “It’s yours, you’re entitled to it”). It was only when the Job Centre wanted me to work, care for mum and suffer from epilepsy all at the same time that I decided to claim it. They treated me like filth when I arrived for an interview.
Our local job centre was horrible to me too, I wasn’t asking for money, just to get a letter copied and certified by them.
The staff should be trained by custom officers, who judging by the programmes I’ve seen on TV are completely non judgemental. Just doing their jobs professionally.
On my third visit I was shown to a waiting area by a fairly pleasant guide. Then I heard “He’s early, he’ll have to wait” shouted out by the official in the ‘soundproof’ booth. (I was relying on public transport because I couldn’t drive anymore due to the epilepsy.) On the first visit, this official had assured me that loudly barking about my epilepsy was inaudible to others because of the booth we occupied.
On my second visit someone had shouted for me from somewhere behind covered desks - no one had bothered to show themselves. I was left wandering around.
It was my third trip that convinced me to stop being a martyr.