Households in council tax bands A to D are to receive a one-off payment of £150 from the government’s Council Tax Rebate Scheme to go towards increased fuel costs.
It’s estimated that 80% of households in England will receive the £150 Council Tax payment from April.
The council holds bank account details for around 71,000 households in the city who already pay their council tax by Direct Debit. These bank details will be used to make the £150 payments directly and as quickly as possible.
All payments are expected to have been made by the end of July 2022.
However, the council has never been provided with the Direct Debit details of 34,000 households in Bands A-D and we want to contact them to ensure they too can receive the rebate.
These people will have the option of either:
We will start contacting eligible households from April. If you don’t have a bank account, we’ll talk with you about how we might be able to help you with fuel costs.
There is no need to phone, email or write to the council to get your payment unless we have asked you to do so.
All these payments are expected to have been either paid or credited to council tax bills by the end of July.
Council Leader Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty said: “The price is rapidly rising of everyday essentials including food, gas and electricity. Although it is a drop in the ocean, this payment will help many people.
“We remain seriously concerned about the impact the cost-of-living crisis is having on our residents and have made additional support available at this difficult time.
“If you’re struggling with food, energy bills and other essentials please contact our Community Hub to see what help is available to you. You can also contact the Community Hub by calling 01273 293 117 and selecting option 1.”
It’s easy and convenient to set up a Direct Debit to pay your Council Tax, you won't have to renew it or contact us every April. It'll run on automatically.
Advantages of a Direct Debit include:
