From Herefordshire Council:
As part of the government’s initiative to help households with rising energy costs, they have announced a one-off £150 Council Tax rebate for certain households.
Who will qualify?
- If you are a liable Council Tax payer in band A to D occupying the property on 1 April 2022
- If you are a liable Council Tax payer occupying the property on 1 April 2022 and are in band E but you are receiving disabled relief
- The property is exempt but solely occupied by students or school leavers, under 18s, severely mentally impaired or is an annexe occupied with dependant relatives
- If you receive Council Tax Reduction and are in a band A to D (or E with disabled relief), you will still be entitled to the payment
Who will not qualify?
- Second homes
- Empty properties
- Exempt properties not listed in the qualifying section
If you don’t know which band your property is in, you can find it on your latest Council Tax bill or use the Valuation Office website to check.
How will I receive the payment?
Residents who pay their Council Tax by direct debit, will receive their energy rebate first. Once the first Council Tax payment for 2022/23 is paid, we will use those details to process the payment straight into your bank account.
Payment will be made more quickly to those paying by direct debit.
If you already pay your Council Tax by direct debit, you do not need to do anything.
If you don’t already pay Council Tax by direct debit, you can sign up below. This means we will then have your details ready for when we start making energy rebate payments.
Set up Council Tax direct debit
If you are eligible and don’t pay your Council Tax by direct debit, we are making arrangements to get this rebate to you as soon as we can but this will take longer due to the number of households we will need to contact.
By opting to receive your new Council Tax bill electronically, we will be able to contact you easier and quicker by email and you will be saving paper. You will need your Council Tax reference to hand.
When will I receive the rebate?
We do not have the final details of the rebate yet but as soon as we do, we will update this page. Please do not chase us for this payment, as this just slows us down and we do not know the specific details of the scheme yet. We will be in touch with you.
Paying your bill
The rebate does not mean you don’t need to pay your Council Tax bill – you must continue to pay your Council Tax bill by the amounts and on the dates shown on your bill. If you are struggling to pay, please see Council Tax discretionary hardship payments.
If you’re not in a band A to D, and still need help there will be some further funding available to help households who do not qualify under this main scheme. When we have more information we will publish the details here.
Council Tax bands
If you think your property Council Tax band needs reviewing, you will need to contact the Valuation Office, using the links below:
Article released by the Government in February 2022
Households across England are being urged to set up direct debits with their local council to receive a £150 council tax rebate that will help millions of families manage costs of living.
People who pay council tax by direct debit, which is a safe, simple and quick way to pay will see the cash go directly into their bank accounts from April. Those who do not pay by direct debit will be contacted by their council and invited to make a claim.
Around 20 million households in council tax bands A to D – including 95% of rented properties – are set to benefit from the £3 billion council tax rebate, which does not have to be repaid. It is part of an extensive package of government measures to help families with rising energy costs.
An extra £144 million will also be given to councils to provide discretionary support to vulnerable households who may not qualify for the £150 council tax rebate. This includes people on low incomes in council tax bands E to H.
Secretary of State for Levelling Up Rt Hon Michael Gove said:
As we emerge from the pandemic, we understand the pressures facing many families as global inflation levels increase.
The support we have introduced will help millions of people, particularly those on the lowest incomes and the most vulnerable.
We continue to stand behind the British people and I urge everyone who is eligible to claim this rebate to do so.
The advice follows the publication of guidance for councils today (23 February 2022) which will help them administer the rebate.
The council tax rebate is part of a £9.1 billon government support package, which from October, includes a further reduction of £200 on energy bills for domestic electricity customers.
The £200 reduction will help people manage the increase in energy bills by spreading the increased costs over a few years, so they are more manageable for households. It will be automatically recovered from people’s bills in equal £40 instalments over 5 years, beginning in 2023, when global wholesale gas prices are expected to come down.
The Warm Home Discount will be expanded so nearly 3 million low-income households will benefit from a £150 discount.
Further information
All households in England are placed by the Valuation Office Agency into 1 of 8 council tax bands, ranging from band A to band H.
Households living in a property valued in council tax bands A to D as their main home will be eligible for a £150 council tax rebate.
An extra £144 million will also be given to councils to provide discretionary support to vulnerable households who may not qualify for the £150 council tax rebate. This includes people on low incomes in council tax bands E to H.
Householders can find their council tax banding via Check your Council Tax band.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
