Under consideration PE2256: Backdate council tax discounts for people with dementia to the date of GP certification
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to require council tax discounts to be backdated to the date a person was certified as being severely mentally impaired, where they then go on to qualify for a relevant benefit.
Background information
There are over 600,000 people with dementia in the UK who receive care at home. According to ONS data this equates to over 48,000 people in Scotland living at home with dementia.
People with dementia are only disregarded (not counted) for council tax if they have a medical certificate and are in receipt of certain benefits. This means that many people with dementia have to wait months or years to qualify for council tax discounts after they have been diagnosed.
If council tax discounts were backdated to the date a person was certified as being severely mentally impaired, people with dementia could potentially save thousands of pounds.
In written evidence in 2025, in response to petition PE1976 on this issue, the then Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government indicated that the Scottish Government was “actively exploring legislative options”, but none appear to have come forward.
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This petition is now under consideration
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