Bolton Council Tax Reduction for Carers

How Caring Responsibilities Affect Your Council Tax

If you're providing regular unpaid care for someone in Bolton, your caring role interacts with the council tax system in several ways — through income disregards, non-dependant exemptions, and additional discounts that many carers don't know they can claim.

The most direct route is through Bolton's Council Tax Reduction scheme. When calculating your CTR award, certain carer-related income and benefits are treated favourably. Carer's Allowance itself counts as income in the means test, but the underlying caring status can unlock other protections.

Non-Dependant Deduction Exemptions

Normally, if other adults live in your household, Bolton Council applies non-dependant deductions that reduce your CTR award based on those adults' gross income. But these deductions are waived entirely if you or your partner receive:

• The daily living component of Personal Independence Payment (PIP)
• The care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) at middle or highest rate
• Attendance Allowance

This matters for carers because many live with the person they care for. To waive the CTR non-dependant deduction, the qualifying benefit must be received by the CTR claimant or their partner; the person they care for receiving it does not by itself meet this test.

Carer Disregard for Non-Dependants

If you live with someone you provide care for, you may qualify for Bolton's carer discount and be disregarded for council tax purposes. You must live with that person and provide at least 35 hours of care per week. The person you care for must be entitled to middle- or highest-rate DLA care, PIP daily living, Attendance Allowance, Constant Attendance Allowance with an Industrial Injuries or War Pension, Armed Forces Independence Payment, or Maximum Disablement Benefit with the highest rate of Constant Attendance Allowance. The discount is not available if you are caring for your partner or a child under 18.

When the carer disregard applies, this can enable the person you care for to claim the 25% single person discount even though you live there, because you're not counted for council tax purposes.

Severe Mental Impairment and Caring

If the person you care for has a severe mental impairment — a permanent condition affecting brain function, certified by a doctor — they can be disregarded for council tax purposes entirely. Combined with the carer disregard, a household where one person has SMI and the other is their carer could qualify for a 25% discount or even full exemption if the SMI person lives alone for council tax purposes.

See the SMI exemption guide for the qualifying benefits and application process.

What to Do

Check whether you're already receiving every discount and exemption your caring situation qualifies you for. Bolton Council won't automatically apply these — you need to tell them. Contact the Revenues and Benefits team on 01204 331599 to flag your caring role, and apply for Council Tax Reduction if you're on a low income. The complete Bolton CTR guide covers the application process, evidence requirements, and how non-dependant deductions work step by step.

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