Scramble to reap benefit of rebate on council tax
HOUSEHOLDERS SIGNING UP TO RECEIVE ENERGY COST SUPPORTY
PEOPLE living in Kirklees have been signing up to pay their council tax by direct debit in order to benefit from the government’s £150 rebate.
In the fiveweek period between the government’s announcement of a one-off payment on February 3 for around 20 million households and March 14, the council received 2,397 new direct debit instructions.
That represents almost 4% of the 62,000 households in the borough that do not pay by direct debit, and for whom the council does not hold bank details.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the £150 rebate would help people shoulder the burden of cost of living rises caused by huge hikes in energy bills.
He said the cash would be automatically paid into the bank account of households in band A-D properties that pay council tax by direct debit. Local authorities such as Kirklees Council are responsible for organising the payments, which are set to begin from April 1. A total of 160,909 households in the district are eligible to receive the money, which does not have to be repaid.
The council has pledged to ensure that all residents eligible for the 0 rebate will be able to receive it “regardless of how they currently pay their Council Tax bills.”
Households in council tax bands A-D Second homes or empty properties will NOT benefit.
The government is making available an extra 4m to provide support to vulnerable households that may not qualify for the rebate. That includes people on low incomes in council tax bands E-H.
To sign up to pay council tax by direct debit in Kirklees, go to: www.kirklees. gov.uk/paycounciltax