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. This is not a Council Tax refund but help towards your energy costs administered by the Council Tax Department.
Energy rebate payments are to be paid from April and must be paid by 30 September 2022 to all qualifying applicants.
From Herefordshire Council:
Please be patient and do not contact us but keep checking this page for up-to-date information. We understand how important these payments are to you and we are working hard to distribute the rebates as quickly as possible, and by the 30 September 2020 deadline.
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 (even if you have no Council Tax to pay) 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 are receiving their energy rebate first. When a Council Tax payment for 2022/23 has been paid, we will use those details to process the payment straight into your bank account.
These payments have already started and will show as ‘HEREFORD’ in the description on bank statements.
Payment can only be made after a successful instalment to pay your Council Tax has been claimed already. Your Council Tax bill will confirm your first instalment date that is due via Direct Debit.
Payments are being made weekly so please do not chase us for payments as this slows the process down.
Please do not cancel your direct debit after your first instalment has been paid otherwise we will not be able to send the payment to you and you will need to apply under the non Direct Debit payer rules.
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 can make the payment direct into your account after your first direct debit payment and you will not need to claim the payment via an application form.
Set up Council Tax direct debit
If you are eligible and don’t pay your Council Tax by direct debit, you will be contacted to complete an application form to select how you would like the payment. You will be able to choose from the following options:
- Have the payment made into your bank account (you will need to provide proof of your bank account upon application)
- Apply for a Post Office Pay Out voucher where you will receive a voucher which you can take to any Post Office and exchange for £150 cash (you will need to provide identification to the Post Office to obtain the payment)
- Request the £150 is credited to your Council Tax account (if you have Council Tax arrears, this will be offset against the arrears rather than against current liability)
We know how important these payments are and are working hard to get this application to you as soon as possible. The form will be available no later than 30 June 2022 and you will be contacted directly by us when it becomes available.
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.
Be scam aware
Please be aware of scams – Herefordshire Council will not request bank details from you over the telephone so please do not provide this information to any calls you may receive.
Any correspondence that is sent from Herefordshire Council regarding this Council Tax rebate will be sent from our official Council Tax email address which is counciltax@herefordshire.gov.uk
When will I receive the rebate?
Payments for those who pay by direct debit will begin from week commencing 2 May 2022. For those who do not pay by direct debit, an application form for you to apply will be available shortly.
Please be aware that central government advise that all payments must be made to customers no later than 30 September 2022.
More Details – https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/council-tax-1/council-tax-discounts-exemptions/19
