An investigation by Martin Lewis's MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) has uncovered that dozens of local authorities across England and Wales are publishing incorrect information about a vital Council Tax discount for unpaid carers.
Widespread Misinformation on Council Websites
The probe, which checked the online information of over 200 councils, found that at least 69 councils have details on their websites, PDFs, or application forms that wrongly state the eligibility criteria for the live-in Carer Council Tax discount. This means a minimum of one in five councils are providing incomplete and misleading guidance.
A further 80 councils failed to include any easily accessible information online about the qualifying benefits needed to claim the discount. The issue is compounded because the main Gov.uk pages on Council Tax also do not list these benefits, making it harder for people in England to determine their eligibility.
The Financial Impact on Carers
This discount is not means-tested and can reduce a Council Tax bill by 25 per cent or 50 per cent. A 25 per cent reduction is typically worth around £500 a year. MSE warns that the incorrect information is likely deterring many of the up to five million unpaid carers in the UK from claiming what they are legally entitled to, placing them under unnecessary financial stress.
Martin Lewis said: "Unpaid carers can’t trust councils’ information about Carers’ Council Tax discounts. The idea that they’re being misled about £100s a year in discounts from their own councils really sticks in the craw." He urged all carers who thought they were ineligible after checking their council's site to check again using resources like Carers UK's help pages.
Full List of Councils with Incorrect Information
The investigation, published on 12 January 2026, identified councils across all regions providing wrong information. A full regional list from the report includes:
- East Midlands: Bolsover, Derby, Harborough, High Peak, Hinckley and Bosworth, North West Leicestershire, Rushcliffe, South Derbyshire, South Kesteven, West Lindsey.
- West Midlands: Lichfield, Sandwell, Staffordshire Moorlands, Stoke-on-Trent, Wyre Forest.
- East of England: Braintree, Broxbourne, Huntingdonshire, North Hertfordshire, North Norfolk, Stevenage, Uttlesford.
- London: Barnet, Bromley, Camden, Haringey, Hounslow, Merton, Waltham Forest.
- North East: Gateshead, South Tyneside.
- North West: Blackpool, Burnley, Fylde, Pendle, Rossendale.
- South East: Adur, Brighton and Hove, Cherwell, Chichester, East Hampshire, Fareham, Gravesham, Hart, Runnymede, Rushmoor, Slough, South Oxfordshire, Spelthorne, Swale, Tandridge, Tunbridge Wells, Vale of White Horse, Wealden, West Berkshire, Windsor and Maidenhead, Worthing.
- South West: Cheltenham, Gloucester, North Somerset, Plymouth, Swindon.
- Yorkshire and the Humber: Calderdale, North East Lincolnshire, North Yorkshire, Sheffield, Wakefield.
- Wales: Denbighshire, Merthyr Tydfil.
Lewis emphasised the critical role of unpaid carers, who provide 35 hours or more of care weekly, calling them "a silent and often un-thanked backbone" that reduces the cost to the state. MSE is writing to all involved councils demanding they urgently update their websites and ensure internal policies are compliant. The findings will also be reported to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Carers who believe they missed out due to poor information are advised to ask their council for a backdated discount to the point of first eligibility, though rules on backdating vary.
