Martin Lewis says people with four medical conditions can cut Council Tax to £0

Martin Lewis has urged people with four medical conditions to reduce their council tax bill to £0. The BBC Sounds podcast host discussed council tax reductions on his most recent ITV show, discussing how those with strokes, Parkinsons, dementia or brain injuries can benefit.

"If you know someone with dementia, who’s had a severe stroke or Parkinson's or a brain injury, watch this, they may be due a Council Tax discount. Please spread the word…," Mr Lewis said. The 'severely mentally impaired' (SMI) Council Tax discount is a reduction off of a household's Council Tax bill, worth, at a minimum, 25%, all the way up to, in some cases, the entire bill being wiped.

'Severely mentally impaired' is a horrible term, so we'll refer to it as SMI for the purposes of this guide. SMI is a medical diagnosis in itself, but the underlying cause could be a condition such as dementia (including Alzheimer's), profound learning difficulties, multiple sclerosis, the result of a severe stroke or something else.

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SMI living alone in households get a 100% discount while an SMI living with an adult carer in a household gets 50% discount. An SMI living with one qualifying adult in a household gets a single-person reduction, so 25% discount and SMI living with two or more qualifying adults in a household pays full Council Tax, so no discount.

Money Saving Expert reader Jan replied: "My aunt has just received a refund worth over £7,000 and won't have to pay Council Tax again. She has been profoundly deaf since birth and now has dementia. At 96 and bed-bound, this will go a long way towards getting her the support she now requires."

"Thanks so much for the tip about Council Tax savings for people diagnosed as severely mentally impaired. I'd never heard of it until I saw your guide. My aunt, who has dementia, just received a refund from her council for £4,200. Looking ahead, it also means she'll be saving around £1,200/year off her Council Tax bill – a significant sum for a 92-year-old with limited income," said Maggie.