Severe Mental Impairment (SMI) and Council Tax

[Skulls]

Following my recent PIP success, I thought I would follow the advice of Martin Lewis and seek a discount on my council tax of 25%. This is offered to anyone with a severe mental impairment certified by their GP. As one of the example conditions listed as qualifying was stroke and I had suffered a similar hypoxic injury, I thought it worth a go. So, at the local authority web site, I filled in an online form which triggered an email with a PDF form attached seeking exactly the same information! I had to fill that in, print it out and sign it before attaching proof I was in receipt of PIP and mailing it to the Revenues & Benefits people.

Yesterday, a little under four weeks after my application, I received a response. My application was refused because the GP certified I was not severely mentally impaired. Whilst I remain curious how she would know as I haven’t been assessed since January 2019 by an OT and have never seen a neurologist since being discharged from hospital, this did prompt some further in depth research on what SMI is.

Consider it intellectual disability. When one sees the list of ways in which ones behaviour has to vary from the norm one is happy not to suffer in this way. It includes a necessity to be supervised around the clock.

So, I don’t intend to mount a challenge. It is a shame that more information is not made available to prevent the effort and expense of needless applications. The law is written in gobbledygook and, unless fluent in it, one is likely to end up wasting ones time.

[Pairofboots]

This is a shame Skull. Living on my own, SMI gives me 100% discount on council tax. The form only asks for the dr's opinion, yes or no. The housing act does give clear guidance for GPs to refer to.

[bonfire in reply to Pairofboots]

Keep pursuing it Skulls.

Severe mental impairment.

No- one wants to have that label applied to them

No one wants to be in this club.

I get 100 percent discount.

[Skulls in reply to bonfire]

I don’t care about any labels. I was branded as “f**king nuts” in hospital by my wife and others. However, it is impossible to challenge a GP within the two months allowed to mount an appeal. I am pleased not to be intellectually disabled on top of everything else.

[Plenty in reply to Pairofboots]

SMI or disabled relief?

[Pairofboots in reply to Plenty]

SMI it is awarded, (or should be) with respect of the housing act.

[Plenty in reply to Pairofboots]

PIP entitlement letter and GP to also inform the council?

[Pairofboots in reply to Plenty]

The only legal requirement is that the Dr signs the form to say that you are, PIP is not a requirement. Anyone who is born with or acquires a brain injury that impacts on their ability to live a 'normal' life should qualify. The housing act has descriptions of the qualifying factors. It isn't pretty in its wording, or PC by today's standards. I didn't think I would have qualified, but Headway put out a post. The council, from a point of ignorance, breached every rule they could in questioning why I wanted to apply, again this is illegal to question the applicant. It is backdated to when the injury happened, so even if you have moved areas you are entitled to be reimbursed from that date, a bit of a faff having to go back, but worth doing it. It is based on usually the GPs opinion, but as I said the act is very clear who qualifies. You can check out the qualifying factors via your council, or through .gov. Don't rely on the plebs at the council to tell you if you are entitled. Do your own reading. if you are married/live in a family, you qualify for 25% discount from the date of injury, if you live alone then it is 100%, if you have separated following your injury, it will be 25% while cohabiting and your ex partner will be entitled to half the equivalent discount for that period. The Dr should return the form to you to submit, obviously if they don't agree you qualify, they need to explain to you, this should negate the need for appeal. The council cannot overrule, or question the Dr. Hope this helps.

[Plenty in reply to Pairofboots]

thank you.

[Plenty]

it’s not easy claiming a lot of what you’re entitled to. I’ve given up trying to be honest, as it stresses and fatigues me to much due to my severe traumatic brain injury.

The PIP entitlement letter seems to really help. No car tax, disability parking badge etc…

Unfortunately, as citizens advise told me, if claiming PIP you have to go to tribunal every time!

Wondering why the GP couldn’t help?

[Skulls in reply to Plenty]

Now I have the PIP letter I can apply for bus passes for me plus carer but it does irritate me that there is a £30 charge by the doctor plus £10 to pay to the county council. The latter has just withdrawn funding for two evening buses on our rural route so it is almost like having a curfew! Perhaps they don’t want us getting rowdy?? 😁

[Plenty in reply to Skulls]

it really is the invisible disability.

Life changing, but difficult to prove to others.

[Pairofboots in reply to Skulls]

It is illegal for the Dr to charge for completing the SMI form, perhaps you should point that out to them. Perhaps they need to actually refer to the housing act before they charge or sign the form?

[New_beginning]

I'm so sorry you have encountered this stress.