City council starts to pay out £150 energy rebates

Bosses at Sunderland City Council have already started making payments into the bank accounts of people eligible for cash under the £150 energy rebate scheme.

The cash is being paid to city residents who currently pay their council tax by direct debit, with more than 71,000 expected to have received the money by the end of the Easter weekend.

However, those who have only recently switched to direct debit will start to receive their payments later this month, from the week beginning Monday, April 25, once their bank details have been validated.

About 120,000 households on Wearside are eligible to receive the Council Tax Energy Rebate worth £150 – and of those, 31,000 already getting Council Tax support can get a £20 topup as well.

Sunderland City Council’s executive director of corporate services, Jon Ritchie, said: "We have the systems in place to make these payments efficiently.

"In addition, Sunderland is providing discretionary funding to help hardpressed residents with extra financial support."

The Council Tax Energy Rebate is a one-off payment of £150 to households living in council tax bands A-D, expected to be made throughout April and which will not need to be paid back.

Those eligibile are households in bands A-D in which they live as their main home and were liable to pay council tax as of April 1.

This includes those receiving Local Council Tax Support, even if their council tax bill for the year is less than £150, and some households which are already exempt from paying council tax.

But residents who live in a HMO (House of Multiple Occupation) are not eligible to receive the Council Tax Energy Rebate.

If you live in an eligible property and you pay your council tax by direct debit, your local council will make the payment directly to your bank account automatically, starting from April.

However, concerns have been raised that thousands of the North East poorest households could miss out on the cash.

The Independent Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) has predicted take up of the offer could be just 80% among households which do not pay via direct debit.

If you live in an eligible property and you do not currently pay your council tax by direct debit, households in Sunderland can sign up at https://www.sunderland. gov.uk/ctax-directdebit or by calling 0191 520 5551.

Residents who do not currently pay by direct debit can also complete an online application form which will need to be verified and validated before payments can be made. Visit https://www. sunderland.gov.uk/article/22486/Energy-rebateapplication

Households in receipt of Sunderland’s own Council Tax Support scheme at the beginning of April are receiving a £20 top-up.

This means that all households in receipt of Council Tax Support can receive a total payment of £170.

Claims for the rebate can be processed up until September 30.