Severely Mentally Impaired (SMI) discount
What does 'severely mentally impaired' mean?
It means that someone has a severe and permanent disability of their mental or social functioning.
The severe mental impairment (SMI) must mean they are unable to handle their own financial affairs.
Conditions that can lead to an SMI include:
- Alzheimer's disease
- Parkinson’s disease
- severe learning difficulties
- a stroke
- forms of dementia
Someone with an SMI may be eligible to a Council Tax discount.
Who can make an assessment for SMI?
Tower Hamlets cannot assess for mental impairment.
A suitable medical professional (usually a GP) must carry out the assessment.
What benefits make someone eligible for an SMI discount?
To be eligible, the SMI person must also be entitled to one or more of the following benefits:
- Short term or long term incapacity benefit
- Attendance Allowance
- Short term or long term Severe Disablement allowance
- Higher or middle rate care component of disability living allowance
- Disability element of working tax credit
- Unemployability supplement
- Constant Attendance allowance or Unemployability allowance under the industrial injuries or war pensions scheme
- Income support which includes a disability premium because of incapacity for work
- Personal Independence Payment Medium or Enhanced Living Allowance
We will need to contact your doctor to confirm the disability
You'll be asked to give your doctor or healthcare professional's details.
This is because the SMI discount must be medically certified.
You can be prosecuted for entering false information
We will investigate any applications that we believe to contain false details.
Apply for a Severely Mentally Impaired discount