The Money Saving Expert has issued his guidance for unpaid carers
09:07, 12 Jan 2026Updated 10:41, 12 Jan 2026
Martin Lewis has issued an alert over a "real problem" impacting up to five million Brits.
The Money Saving Expert has hit out at numerous councils and the government calling for reform regarding unpaid carers, who could be missing out on huge amounts of money.
Martin explained him and his team have been rolling out 'spot checks' on local council websites for the Carers Council Tax Discount.
This scheme allows you a reduction on your council tax if you are an unpaid carer who looks after an individual for more than 35 hours a week, who isn't your spouse or child under 18.
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Martin said: "There are five million people in this circumstance. This is the backbone of our country, this is an army of people. It's taking the burden off the NHS and taking costs away from the state."
He went on: "Now, they are entitled to a discount on their council tax if there's just two of you living in the house, and one of you is a carer of 25 per cent or in some circumstances, 50 per cent."
Martin went on to allege one in five minimum councils of the 69 the Money Saving Expert investigated across the UK have the "wrong information" about the person you may be caring for.
He said: "We spot check council's websites, and one in five minimum council websites have the wrong information about what are the eligible benefits of the person that you're caring for - and that all short.
"So they're missing out some of the most commonly claimed benefits."
Martin continued: "Gov.uk doesn't have the information, a whole other swathe of one in five councils don't print any information at all."
The Money Saving Expert rounded off why sharing his message with unpaid carers across the country, with a clear message to UK households.
Martin said: "If you are a carer and you checked whether you're entitled to this discount on your council's website, don't trust it.
"That is not the correct information. Go to Carers UK or money saving expert, where we put all the correct information for you. And this is this is a real problem. "
Martin continued, running through some of the benefits he spotted on council websites such as attendance allowance and disability living allowance.
However, he also issued a reason as to why he believes the carer's allowance information may not have been taken into account quite the same.
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He said: "The reason we think this has gone on, and they've all got it wrong is 'cause carer's allowance rules were changed in 2013 and their websites have not been updated. This is 2026 in case you've forgot. So that is why there's a problem now.
"f somebody you're caring for is on quite a wide range of benefits, pre state pension age, so any age or state pension age, go and check out Care as UK, or Money saving expert, look at the proper list, and that's your start point.
"It is a scandal we are writing to every council who's got the missing information. We're also writing to the government to say, why earth is this not on Gov.uk.?"