Great idea, but it’s not true to say “no formal diagnosis needed”
For free Council Tax due to dementia and other “severe mental impairments” the council will want the GP to confirm an illness, and you have to be claiming DLA before the council will grant exemption.
or another disability related benefit eg Attendance allowance, PIP, Universal Credit, including an element for limited capability for work or limited capability for work and work-related activity etc
There is info here
The leaflet explains that Attendance Allowance is required in England, Scotland and Wales. There is no qualifying benefit required in Northern Ireland. For Council Tax SMI discounts and exemptions the GP has only to state when they believe the person started with Dementia. There is no formal diagnosis required for either Attendance Allowance or Council Tax SMI disregards.
Different councils seem to want different things. For the severe mental impairment, SMI, although my son was brain damaged at birth, and has had DLA since he was 3 years old, later PIP, they still wanted a confirmation from the GP. For SMI, which leads to total exemption, there is no means test and it can be backdated!
Yes bowlingbun, the GP does have to certify that the person is suffering from SMI for the purpose of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 and the GP has to state the date that “in his opinion” the person has been suffering from SMI. But there is no requirement for a formal diagnosis and again no requirement for a formal diagnosis when applying for Attendance Allowance. My own High Court experience relates to Dementia and thus Dementia Guidance.
Attached is a copy of the leaflet designed to be printed back to back on A4 (170gsm gloss) paper then folded twice
Together we can support people with Dementia.
There are now leaflets in every GP Practice in the UK.
You can help by distributing the leaflets to people with Dementia.