If you're caring for someone at home, you could be missing out on hundreds of pounds in Council Tax savings because your local council's website is giving you the wrong information. That's the stark warning from money expert Martin Lewis, who's urging carers across the UK to ignore what they read online and pick up the phone instead.
The Council Tax Carers Discount slashes 25% off your annual bill – that's potentially £400 or more back in your pocket each year. It's designed for people who spend their days caring for a family member or friend without getting paid for it. But Lewis has discovered that many council websites are putting up barriers that shouldn't be there, leaving thousands of eligible carers thinking they can't claim.
"Don't trust what you read online," Lewis warns. He's found council websites listing requirements that simply don't exist – like needing to be related to the person you care for, or having to claim certain benefits yourself. None of this is true, but it's stopping people from applying for money they're legally entitled to.
Here's what you actually need to qualify: you must be caring for someone for at least 35 hours a week who receives disability benefits like Disability Living Allowance, Personal Independence Payment, or Attendance Allowance. You can't be their spouse or partner, and if they're under 18, you can't be their parent. That's essentially it – much simpler than many websites suggest.
Lewis's solution is refreshingly straightforward: call your council directly and apply, regardless of what their website says. Even if you've been put off by confusing online information, a phone call could unlock significant savings. Council staff dealing with applications know the real rules, not the garbled versions that sometimes appear online.
With household budgets stretched to breaking point, every saving counts. Unpaid carers already shoulder enormous responsibility – they shouldn't have to battle misleading information to access support that's rightfully theirs. If you're caring for someone, don't let a poorly written website cost you hundreds of pounds a year.