Council Tax Energy Rebate

Update 6 September 2022

Payments continue to be made to our residents with over 110,500 households having received their council tax energy rebate. In addition, discretionary funding is being used to:

• Provide a payment to households in receipt of council tax support in council tax bands E to H; and
• Provide a top up payment of £20 to all households claiming council tax support. This means that households in receipt of council tax support on 1 April 2022 will receive a payment of £170 in total

Applications to receive the payment are now closed.

Existing applications are currently being processed.

In line with the Government's requirements the Council needs to undertake verification and validation of the information provided before payment can be made. This is being completed using the Government's Spotlight tool.

Where no issues are identified payments are being made directly by the Council within one week of an eligible household having applied.

The Council has partnered with the Post Office to make payments to eligible residents where the validation and verification exercise identifies an issue. In these cases, residents will receive a letter containing a unique bar code which they can then take to any post office along with a prescribed piece of identification. The post office will then pay the resident their rebate.

Residents have until 16 September 2022 to cash their voucher at the Post Office. Any unclaimed payments by this date will be cancelled and the amounts credited to the resident's council tax account.

Eligible residents who have not applied will not lose out as the Council will apply the energy rebate amount to the council tax account - thereby reducing the amount of council tax that the household needs to pay to the Council.

In line with the Government's guidance all payments (including any credits to a resident's council tax account) must be made by 30 September 2022 for the council tax energy rebate scheme and by 30 November 2022 for the discretionary scheme.

Frequently asked questions

Who will qualify for the Council Tax Energy Rebate?

You will qualify for the Council Tax Energy Rebate if:

• Your property is in Council Tax band A-D. Your Council Tax band is shown on your bill
  - this includes Band E properties where a disabled reduction applies
• You are liable to pay Council Tax and the property is your sole or main residence at 1 April 2022
• You will still qualify if you have no Council Tax to pay - because you receive maximum Council Tax Support
• Your property qualifies for one of the following exemption classes:
  
  N - Occupied by Full Time Students (unless designated a house in multiple occupation)
  S - Occupied solely by residents under the age of 18
  U - Occupied solely by residents who are Severely Mentally Impaired
  W - An annex occupied by a dependant relative

You will not qualify for the Council Tax Energy Rebate if:

• Your property is classed as a second home (a furnished property that is no-one's sole or main residence) on 1 April 2022
• Your property is unoccupied and substantially unfurnished on 1 April 2022
• Your property is in Council Tax band E - H - unless the Band E property receives a disabled reduction

What if I live in a House of Multiple Occupation (HIMO)?

Residents who live in a HIMO are not eligible to receive the Council Tax Energy Rebate.

What if I live in a household made up of friends who share bills and have separate bank accounts?

If the account is being paid by Direct Debit the Council Tax Energy Rebate will be paid into the bank account used to collect payments.

If the account is not being paid by Direct Debit, the residents will need to decide who is going to apply for the Council Tax Energy Rebate. We will pay any of the liable people named on the bill - but we will only make one payment per household.