Millions of households in England will be getting a £150 rebate on their council tax in the coming weeks. People living in homes that are in Bands A to D are eligible for the one-off payment, which has been introduced to help people struggling with the cost of living crisis.
So far this month, households have been stung by the energy price cap increase, council tax rises and a National Insurance hike to help fund social care. The government is coming under increasing pressure to support families that are struggling to pay their rising bills.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the Council Tax Rebate scheme in February this year, saying it would cover around 80 per cent of homes in England. To be eligible for the £150 payment you must be living in a Band A to D property in England and it must either be your sole or main home. Second homes and empty properties are not eligible.
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The government has set a legal requirement for all councils to deliver rebate payments to all eligible residents from April 2022 and by September 2022 latest. The Manchester Evening News has contacted every borough in Greater Manchester to find out when residents can expect to receive the funds. Here's what they have all said.
Bolton
Bolton Council will be making payments throughout April and May for those who pay by direct debit. But people who do not pay via direct debit may have to wait longer.
A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “People who pay their council tax by direct debit will have the £150 paid into their bank account automatically. We are expecting to make these payments in April and May 2022.
“For people who do not pay by direct debit, we will be ready to process bank payments from May onwards.”
Bury
Bury Council will make payments to residents during April and May, according to a statement on its website. The statement adds: "Please bear with us whilst we make the payment arrangements. If we already hold your bank details because you pay your Council Tax by Direct Debit we will use these. If we don't hold your bank details we will be in contact in the coming weeks."
The council did not respond to the Manchester Evening News' request for further information.
Manchester
People living in Manchester who are eligible for the rebate and pay via direct debit should get their payments from the week beginning April 18, Manchester City Council said.
Residents who do not pay their council tax via direct debit will be invited to make an application shortly, the council added. These payments are expected to be made from the week beginning April 25.
The council said anyone who is not able to get online will be supported to make their application over the phone.
A spokesperson for Manchester City Council told the Manchester Evening News: "The quickest and easiest way to claim the rebate is by setting up a Director Debit to pay Council Tax. However, there will be a system in place for those people who do not pay by Direct Debit - and help will be available to those who cannot claim online to phone the Council and be supported through an assisted application process. This is a major exercise for the Council but we are confident that everyone who wants to claim the £150 will be able to."
Oldham
Oldham Council said eligible households paying their council tax via direct debit will be the first to receive their payment. People who have a direct debit set up with the council will get their payment from May 2022.
Payment will only be made after the direct debit payment of the first instalment of council tax due for 2022/2023 has been successfully paid, the council said. The council is encouraging people to set up a direct debit as a payment method in order to speed up the process.
A spokesperson for Oldham Council said: “We’re eager to issue these vital payments as soon as possible as we know how important they will be to our residents in the current economic climate. However, we must abide by the guidelines that have been given to us so we can verify that payments are being issued to the correct people in eligible households.
“We are also working on the necessary changes to our systems to enable these payments to be issued to Direct Debit payers. We hope to be a position where we can issue payments earlier than planned and residents should continue to check our website for more information on when they will receive their payment.
“All eligible households will receive their rebate, regardless of how they currently pay their Council Tax, however we are urging residents to sign up to pay by Direct Debit as it is a safe and reliable method and will support the process of paying this rebate.”
Rochdale
In Rochdale, residents who pay their council tax via direct debit can expect to get their payments during the month of their first council tax instalment, Rochdale Council said. Residents who don’t pay via direct debit will be invited to make an application for the rebate later this month.
A spokesperson told the Manchester Evening News: "For residents who pay their Council Tax by Direct Debit and whose first instalment for 2022/23 is collected in April we are expecting to start making payments during the week commencing 25 April 2022.
"For residents who pay their Council Tax by Direct Debit and whose first instalment for 2022/23 is collected in May we are expecting to start making payments during the week commencing 9 May 2022 with payments running through May.
"For residents who don’t pay their Council Tax by Direct Debit we are expecting to invite applications during the week commencing 25 April 2022, following which payments will start to be made."
The spokesperson added: "We haven’t yet started to make payments but aren’t anticipating any delays."
Salford
According to Salford Council, residents who pay council tax by direct debit will be sent their payment automatically after they have paid their April 2022 council tax instalment. Non-direct debit residents will receive a letter by early May 2022 inviting them to apply for the rebate.
The council did not provide further details but said information could be found on its website here.
Stockport
Stockport Council will send payments to residents from May 2022 if they pay by direct debit. Those who do not pay by direct debit may have to wait longer but the council will be in touch directly with those affected.
A Stockport Council spokesperson told the Manchester Evening News: “We aim to start issuing payments from May 2022, when the first direct debit payment of 2022/23 has been made. This is in line with government guidance. Following guidance, we will be issuing payments to those who pay via direct debit first due to the ease of this method of payment. Residents who do not pay by direct debit will be directed to a form on the Stockport Council website in due course."
More information can be found here.
Tameside
In Tameside, residents who pay their council tax by direct debit can expect payments between April and May. For those that don't pay by direct debit, residents will need to apply for the rebate. The council said it will make an application form available on its website 'as soon as possible' for those affected.
A statement on the Tameside Council website reads: "Central government has stated that Council Tax Rebate for Energy payments must be made between April and September 2022. Tameside Council will make all payments as early as possible."
The council did not respond to the Manchester Evening News' request for further information.
Trafford
A statement on the Trafford Council website says: "If you pay your April 2022 Council Tax instalment by Direct Debit then in most cases we'll pay the £150 rebate directly to your bank account.
"If you pay your April 2022 instalment by another method, or you have no Council Tax to pay due to being exempt or in receipt of Council Tax Support, we'll arrange an alternative payment method and announce this soon. We'll update this page when we have the details."
Wigan
Wigan residents who pay council tax via direct debit can expect payments towards the end of April or early May, Wigan Council said, while residents who do not pay via direct debit will need to complete an application form in May.
Lesley O’Halloran, director of customer and culture, told the Manchester Evening News: “In line with the government guidance on both the timescales and eligibility for the scheme, Wigan residents who pay their Council Tax by Direct Debit will have the £150 Energy Rebate payment processed towards the end of April 2022 or early in May 2022. We will contact residents to confirm their payment has been processed, and also contact residents direct should we need further information.
“Residents that do not pay by Direct Debit will need to complete an application form to claim their £150.00 Energy Grant Rebate. The application process will go live in May 2022 and payments will commence June 2022 when all the details within the application have been verified.
“We are working hard to make sure the payments are with our residents as soon as we can. We are developing an online application process, to help ensure as many residents as possible receive their payment as quickly as possible. Our Discretionary Scheme Policy is being drafted and will be published as soon as it is available."
Additional information on the scheme can be found here.
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