Carer Discount for Council Tax in West Northamptonshire

What the Carer Disregard Is

The carer disregard is a statutory rule that removes a qualifying carer from the Council Tax headcount. If you provide live-in care for a specified number of hours per week, you are "disregarded" — treated as if you do not live in the property for Council Tax discount purposes.

This does not reduce the bill directly. Instead, it changes the number of adults counted at the property, which can unlock other discounts. If the carer's disregard leaves only one counted adult in the home, that person qualifies for the 25% Single Person Discount.

Who Qualifies for the Carer Disregard

You are disregarded for Council Tax purposes if you meet all of the following:

• You provide care for at least 35 hours per week on average to another person living in the same property
• The person you care for receives one of these qualifying disability benefits: the higher or middle rate of DLA care component, PIP daily living component (any rate), or Attendance Allowance
• The person you care for is not your spouse or partner. If they are under 18, you are not their parent
• You live in the same dwelling as the person you care for

The 35-hour threshold mirrors the Carer's Allowance requirement, but you do not need to be receiving Carer's Allowance to qualify for the Council Tax disregard. The two are separate — one is a benefit from DWP, the other is a local authority discount mechanism.

How It Affects the Council Tax Bill

Scenario 1 — Carer plus disabled person only: the carer is disregarded and the disabled person is the sole counted adult. If the disabled person also qualifies for an SMI disregard, both residents are disregarded. WNC grants a 50% discount when all residents are disregarded, unless the property qualifies for Class U full exemption because every resident meets the SMI conditions. If the disabled person does not qualify for the SMI disregard, they are the sole counted adult and may qualify for the 25% Single Person Discount.

Scenario 2 — Carer plus disabled person plus another adult: the carer is disregarded, leaving two counted adults. No Single Person Discount applies. The carer disregard does not automatically exempt a carer from a non-dependant deduction under Council Tax Reduction; that deduction depends on the scheme's rules and the claimant's circumstances.

Scenario 3 — Carer is the taxpayer: if you are the person liable for Council Tax and you are disregarded, you still owe the bill — the disregard affects discount calculations, not liability. If you live only with the person you care for and they are also disregarded through SMI, both residents are disregarded. WNC grants a 50% discount when all residents are disregarded, unless the property qualifies for Class U full exemption because every resident meets the SMI conditions.

Carer's Allowance and Council Tax Reduction

Carer's Allowance (£86.45 per week in 2026/27) is counted as income in WNC's LCTRS means test. If you qualify for the carer premium, it is added to your applicable amount and raises the income threshold before the 20% taper kicks in.

The carer premium raises the applicable amount, but Carer's Allowance may still affect your award as income. The effect depends on your other household income, so report the new benefit as a change of circumstances and let WNC recalculate.

The non-dependant deduction exemption is separate from Carer's Allowance. It applies if the LCTRS claimant or their partner receives DLA care at the middle or highest rate, PIP daily living, or Attendance Allowance; then all non-dependant deductions in the household are waived.

How to Apply

Contact WNC at [email protected] or apply online at westnorthants.gov.uk. You will need:

• Your Council Tax account number
• The name of the person you care for and their relationship to you
• Proof of their qualifying disability benefit (DWP award letter)
• A declaration of the hours of care you provide per week

WNC may request additional evidence if the caring arrangement is informal (not arranged through social services). A letter from the disabled person's GP confirming the care need, or a Carer's Allowance award letter, strengthens the application.

Combining Reliefs

Carers in West Northamptonshire often qualify for multiple reliefs simultaneously:

1. Carer disregard (removes the carer from the headcount)
2. Single Person Discount (if only one counted adult remains)
3. Disabled Band Reduction (if the property is adapted for the disabled person)
4. Council Tax Reduction (means-tested, with the carer premium boosting the applicable amount)

Applied in the right order, these can reduce a bill dramatically. Our West Northamptonshire Council Tax Reduction guide walks through the stacking logic and includes worked calculations for carer households.

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