Council Tax Rebate

Discretionary Council Tax Rebate

The council has been provided with funding for a Discretionary Council Tax Rebate scheme. 

We have developed a local discretionary scheme to support households suffering financial hardship because of the rising cost of living. 

 View more information about the Discretionary Council Tax Rebate scheme.

Update on £150 Council Tax Rebate 20 September 2022

The application window for the one-off £150 Council Tax Rebate has closed.

If you have not submitted an application, or you have applied for the rebate but we have been unable to verify the bank details provided, the eligible Council Tax account will be credited with a payment of £150 by 30 September 2022.

The government is providing a £150 one-off council tax rebate for most households in council tax bands A to D. This is to help with the cost of living. 

If you have been asked by letter or email to apply for the rebate, you can do so here:

**Applications for the rebate are now closed**

You will need your council tax reference number for the property you occupied on 1 April 2022 which you can find on your bill. 

The payment will be made on the assumption that on 1 April 2022 you were the liable council tax payer and the property was: 

• In council tax bands A to D (or E with a disabled reduction) 
• Your sole or main residence 
• Occupied by you 

If this is not the case the payment may need to be paid back.  

You may choose to receive the £150 payment to your bank account or as a credit to your council tax account.

If you have received an email or letter but pay by direct debit, this is because the name on the council tax account does not exactly match that of the bank account. You will need to complete the online form. 

The council has to make pre-payment checks prior to any payment. A council tax payer who provides false information or makes false representation in order to benefit from the grant payments may be guilty of fraud. 

We aim to make payment within 14 days of receiving your completed application. 

Completed applications should be received by 1 September 2022 to allow sufficient time for eligible payments to be processed by the mandatory Council Tax Rebate scheme closing date of 30 September 2022.  

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible for the £150 rebate?

Households in bands A-D, which are liable for council tax on 1 April 2022.  

Band E council tax payers in receipt of Disabled Relief are also be eligible.

The rebate is not payable in respect of empty or second homes.
 

I am in receipt of 100% Council Tax Support, am I still eligible for the rebate?

Yes, council tax payers whose bill is £0 due to an existing award of council tax support or an exemption for occupied dwellings are eligible for the rebate.

Can I claim the rebate if I am not liable for council tax or my property is in Band E - ?

The council has been provided with funding for a Discretionary Council Tax Rebate scheme. We have developed a local discretionary scheme to support households suffering financial hardship because of the rising cost of living. 

View more information about the Discretionary Council Tax Rebate scheme.

When will I receive the £150 rebate?

You do not need to contact us. We will use the bank account details of council tax payers who pay by direct debit to automatically credit their bank account if they have had a direct debit payment taken since 01 April 2022.
We aim to start making payments by 15 May 2022.  Councils must make payments to eligible households by 30 September 2022.

Why haven't I received the £150 rebate yet?

If you pay your Council Tax by Direct Debit

While preparing to issue the rebates, some customers details were unable to go through as a mismatch with the bank account holder name was found. 

We are working hard to manually approve these accounts in our system as quickly as we can. As a result, some customers may see their rebate in their accounts around 18 May.

If you think you should have received your rebate on 13 May, and it has not arrived by 20 May, please contact us after this date.

If you do not pay Council Tax by Direct Debit or do not pay Council Tax because you are in receipt of Council Tax Support

You do not need to contact us. 

We will contact eligible households in Bands A-D who do not pay their council tax by direct debit today, to make them aware of the scheme and invite them to make a claim for the £150 rebate.  

If we have an email address for you on our system, we will send you an email on 13 May. If not, we will send you a letter. This will be sent via Royal Mail so we should expect it will reach doorsteps early next week (16 May).

I don't want to pay my council tax bill by direct debit, how do I claim the £150 rebate?

You do not need to contact us. We will contact households in Bands A-D who do not pay their council tax by direct debit, to make them aware of the scheme and invite them to make a claim for the £150 rebate.  We aim to contact households by 15 May 2022.

Can the £150 be credited to my council tax account to reduce the balance?

Yes, if you do not make a claim for the rebate within 28 days of being invited to do so £150 will automatically be credited to your council tax account.

Do I need to repay the £150?

No, the rebate will not need to be repaid.