Hi
Has anybody claimed council tax benefit just for having MS and being on benefit?
I do not have any adapted rooms and I have no mental impairment (I think).
Thanks
Paula
Hi Paula 
I got the council tax reduced by one band. The rules seem to suggest that there has to be a dedicated room for a disabled person and their special needs but in practice, in my case anyway, they were happy that there were things in every room I used e.g. shower chair, special chair in lounge, exercise bike and space sometimes used for a yoga mat, extra stools so I can sit in the kitchen while preparing food etc.
Graeme
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Thanks for that information Graeme - I haven’t even tried to claim as I’ve no dedicated room and so thought it would be a waste of time - now I will try and see what my council will say. Thankyou
Mine was granted due to needing a wheelchair in the house.
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Or even here
thankyou
Hi, we get the reduction (Lower Band) due to my wife’s MS as she had to have adaptations to our bungalow (walk-in shower, widened doorways, grab rails etc) but i was reading up on the Severe Mental Impairment (SMI) 25% reduction. This needs to be verified by a Neurologist’s letter and you have to have answered yes to question 11 on the PIP assessment. It includes conditions such as Parkinsons and severe learning difficulties.
The trouble seems to be that MS on its own may not qualify the sufferer eligibility for SMI but if cognitive impairment is so severe in an individual then it could be worth looking into claiming the 25% reduction as this may benefit the claimant more than a reduced Council Tax Band.
I should add that different Councils have different criteria so it could be a postcode lottery as to who qualifies.
Mine was rejected… I live in a small one bedroom flat. That gives me no option for a second, or any other room for designated use. My only option would have been to have a second bed in my living + kitchen room. I may have to do this in the future.
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