Martin Lewis warns over Severely Mentally Impaired council tax discount being 'scrapped'

Martin Lewis has issued a warning to the government over ending council tax discounts for severe medical impairments. The BBC Sounds and ITV star spoke out amid reports the Labour Party government could axe the 25 per cent single-person discount.

Taking to Twitter, now X, Mr Lewis said: What about the similar reduction for Severe Medical Impairments? Someone with an SMI doesn't count for council tax purposes, so if as is common they live with another adult, there's an 25% reduction equivalent to the single person reduction.

"Surely they're not going to end the reduction for these vulnerable people too?" It comes amid widespread fury on behalf of pensioners who face losing £300 Winter Fuel Payments in a blow from the Labour Party government.

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People in England and Wales not in receipt of Pension Credit or other means-tested benefits will lose out under the Government’s changes to the payments. It is expected to reduce the numbers in receipt of the benefit from 11.4 million to 1.5 million, saving more than £1 billion this year.

Despite Tory attempts to annul the regulations provoking a Labour backbench rebellion in the Commons, the measures came into force this week. There have been claims that councils are lobbying the Government to end the discount to help shore up their finances.

Local authorities are said to be pushing for powers to ditch the arrangements, which are believed to cost around £3billion a year. Ms Rayner was less firm on the issue of single council tax discount and said: "I find it astonishing that members opposite, after running down the economy in the way that they have, after the Chancellor had to come to this House to talk about the billions of pounds black hole, that they're now trying to claim that this Government is about raising taxes.

"This Government is about making sure that working people are better off and we'll intend to do that."