Housing Benefit and Council Tax Support

If you are single the severe disability premium (SDP) is included in your award if:

• you receive a qualifying disability benefit (Attendance Allowance, constant Attendance Allowance, the care component of Disability Living Allowance at the middle or highest rate or Personal Independence Payment daily living component at standard or enhanced rate); and
• no-one gets paid Carer's Allowance (CA) for looking after you (if your carer is eligible for CA but does not receive anything then they do not count); and
• you have no adults living with you (unless they are also receiving a qualifying disability benefit or are registered blind)

If you are in a couple you can receive the severe disability premium if:

• you both receive a qualifying disability benefit (or one of you receives a qualifying disability benefit and the other person is registered blind); and
• you have no other adults living with you (unless they are also receiving a qualifying disability benefit or are registered blind)

Where both members of a couple receive a qualifying disability benefit you will receive a couple's rate of SDP if no-one receives payments of Carer's Allowance (CA) for looking after either of you (if your carer is eligible for CA but does not receive a payment then they do not count). If someone gets Carer's Allowance for one member of the couple - but no one gets Carer's Allowance for their partner - then SDP is paid at a single rate.

Where only one member of a couple receives a qualifying disability benefit and their partner is registered blind, then SDP will be paid at the single rate only. However, if someone gets a payment of Carer's Allowance for the person on the qualifying disability benefit, no SDP will be paid.

SDP is not affected where a carer is entitled to Carer's Allowance but not paid it because they receive another benefit instead.

If you are in a situation where you can choose between benefits we strongly advise you to seek further advice from a recognised adviser to work out which benefit you would be better off claiming.