Government scheme announced for Council Tax rebate
The government have announced that households in Council Tax bands A to D, who are not exempt from Council Tax, will be eligible for a £150 Council Tax rebate payment from April this year. This is a one-off payment that will not need to be repaid.
Work has already started on getting these payments ready. We have identified around 58,000 households that are likely to be eligible for the rebate.
Whilst we wait for the government to provide final details about the scheme, we are not able to give a firm date for when the payment will be made. As soon as we know we will update this page.
You will still receive your usual Council Tax bill for the coming year as normal. The rebate is being paid completely separately. If you currently pay your Council Tax by direct debit it is important that you do not cancel it. It is likely we will be able to use those bank details to pay your Council Tax rebate. If you cancel the direct debit it may delay us being able to get your payment to you.
If you don’t already pay by direct debit now is a good time to set one up. This will speed up your Council Tax rebate payment when we are able to pay it.
Who will benefit
Whilst we don’t have all the details about the Council Tax rebate payment, this is what we know so far:
- the household must be in Council Tax band A to D and not be exempt from paying Council Tax
- households in bands A to D that pay less than £150 or do not pay Council Tax because they receive Council Tax reduction will still receive the £150 rebate
- single residents who live in a property in bands A to D who receive a single person discount will be eligible for the same payment of £150 (there is no adjustment or reduction because they live alone)
- the rebate will not be paid for second homes or empty properties
There is a separate discretionary fund being set up to support those who need help with their energy bills but are not eligible for the Council Tax rebate payment.
This may include:
- households on income support in higher bands (E to H)
- properties in bands A to D that are exempt from council
Further details on the discretionary fund will be set out by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and local authorities.