Council tax rebate to help with rising home energy costs

RESIDENTS of Hinckley and Bosworth will soon receive their £150 council tax energy rebate.

The one-off payment to help households in England with rising energy bills was announced in February for all households whose main home is in council tax bands A to D.

Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council is working to process the energy rebate, with pre-payment checks being carried out to prevent fraud.

The local authority, based in Hinckley, Leicestershire, is awaiting the software to run the scheme, which it expects to receive by the end of April.

The council said in a post on its Facebook page: “As soon as it [the software] is received a period of intensive testing will follow and then payments will begin to be made.”

If you are eligible for the rebate and pay council tax by direct debit, the council will pay £150 directly into the bank account from which your payments are taken. Officials hope to make these payments, which will happen automatically, in May 2022.

If you don’t pay by direct debit, the council will be using the Post Office Payout Voucher Scheme to make your payment. The person named on the council tax account will receive a letter with a barcode that enables them to pick up your cash payment from any Post Office branch, with appropriate identification.

Letters will be posted in May. There is no need to apply for this or to hand over any bank account information to anyone – it will be sent automatically to all eligible households.

This scheme is not a reduction in council tax and the payment will not show on your tax bill.

Residents have been urged to be mindful of scams and reminded that the council will never ask for bank account or personal details over the phone.

More information about eligibility is available on the council website.