Council tax rebate Authority set to miss deadline on paying £150
BRISTOL City Council looks set to miss the April deadline for the £150 council tax rebate.
With just days to go before the end of the month, thousands of residents are still without the money the Government promised for all homes in council tax bands A to D in February.
The money was due to be paid “in April”, Chancellor Rishi Sunak repeatedly said, although other Government documents also referred to the money being paid “from April”.
Bristol City Council, along with South Gloucestershire Council, appear to be lagging behind.
BCC’s dedicated web page says: “Arrangements are being made to implement the council tax rebate scheme and we will provide more information as soon as possible.”
It is also yet to be updated with information on how to claim if you do not pay your council tax by direct debit; people who do will receive it automatically.
When asked when the payment would be made, and when people would be told how to claim, a Bristol City Council spokesperson told the Post on Wednesday: “We are expecting an update on council tax rebates later this week.
“There is currently no further detail to share.”
Pressed again on whether the payments would be made by the end of the month, the spokesperson did not respond.
North Somerset Council said on its website that residents who paid by direct debit would receive the rebate “by Tuesday April 26”.
It said it would write to anyone who did not pay by direct debit to make the appropriate arrangements.
Some North Somerset residents have confirmed they have received the money, while one – who pays by direct debit – confirmed they had not.
The council did not respond to a request for comment.
South Gloucestershire Council, meanwhile, has said it has started making the payments.
It said anyone paying by direct debit should receive the money “by the beginning of June”, while anyone paying another way would be
written to “towards the middle of May”.
Mr Sunak announced the £150 rebate in February. He said at the time: “We are going to give people a £150 council tax rebate to help with the cost of energy in April, and this discount will not need to be repaid.”
He repeated that claim later the same day, saying: “Those in council tax bands A to D will get £150 in April,” though by March he had softened his language, saying: “households in England will receive £150 starting this April”.
The Government is providing the money, with councils given the job of getting it to their residents. It is to be paid to all households in bands A to D, meaning around 80 per cent of homes in England will benefit.
The rebate is separate to the £200 coming off energy bills in October. That money will need to be repaid, in five instalments of £40 each, over the next five years.