A MoneySavingExpert investigation revealed councils had not updated online guidance since 2013, leaving carers misinformed about the live-in Carer Council Tax discount.

Following the probe, councils updated their guidance and the MoneySavingExpert team emphasized that carers who may be eligible should recheck for backdated discounts.

The investigation noted Scotland’s criteria differed and was outside the UK-wide findings, with public figures like Sir Ed Davey weighing in on the issue.

The core issue was outdated online information; some councils omitted benefits such as Armed Forces Independence Payment and various rates of Attendance Allowance and Personal Independence Payment since 2013 changes.

To qualify for the live-in Carer discount, a carer must provide at least 35 hours of free care per week to someone in the household (not a spouse/partner or under-18 child), and the cared-for person must receive a qualifying benefit.

If eligible, the live-in Carer discount effectively disregards the carer for Council Tax, amounting to a 25% single-person discount when the cared-for person’s qualifying benefits apply.

MoneySavingExpert estimated up to five million unpaid carers were deterred from claiming, with possible losses of £500 to £1,000 per year per carer, and all 69 councils have since corrected information.

Carers UK welcomed the corrections, underscoring carers’ financial strain and urging anyone affected to recheck eligibility after the updates.

The 2013 rule changes widened eligibility, but many councils still failed to reflect this online, and Scotland’s rules were not part of the UK-wide results.

Within four months, all 69 councils identified corrected their online information, and guidance now stresses backdating eligibility where applicable.

The UK Government urged councils to improve accuracy of Council Tax support information, with politicians signaling ongoing engagement on the issue.

The investigation found 69 councils in England and Wales had incomplete or incorrect qualifying criteria, potentially affecting up to five million carers and costing many £500 to £1,000 annually.