Over £2m paid in council tax rebate – so far

The first two tranches of ‘council tax energy rebates’ have been made in North Herts, meaning 15,575 households have received their £150 rebate, totalling £2,336,250.

All councils in England will be giving a one-off £150 rebate to households in council tax bands A to D, following a government announcement in February to help protect millions of households from the rise in energy costs.

If you pay your council tax via Direct Debit (DD) you will automatically receive the £150 after you have made your first DD payment in April – payments so far have been made to those who pay by DD on the 1st and 8th of the month, and 240 households that don’t pay by DD.

There are three other DD dates throughout a month so the date of your rebate will be up to 15 days after the date of your usual DD in April - it can take 10-15 days due to bank account processing and bank holidays.

If you don’t pay by Direct Debit, you should have received a letter advising you to apply for the payment/credit to your council tax account – you can apply now via our website – Council Tax rebate 2022. These payments are likely to take a bit longer to process as more checks are required before payment can be made.

If your home is in council tax bands E to H, there will be a discretionary scheme for the energy rebate for those on a low income – please look out for further information on this soon.

If you are struggling to pay your council tax, or any council related bills, please contact us as soon as possible so we can discuss your options and see if we can help.

North Herts Council Managing Director, Anthony Roche, said: “We know this will be a difficult time for many residents, and hope the £150 rebate via council tax will go some way to help. To be clear, this is a direct payment, it is not a loan or reduction on your annual bill, though you can choose to use it to credit your council tax account or bill.

“We are working hard at the council with our partners to see how we can help our residents manage the increased cost of living from energy bills and other outgoings. Please do contact us if you need help, and look out for our special campaign coming soon which will give useful advice, tips and information in the current climate.”  

Scam warning: Criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their attempts to take advantage of the financial worries people are facing. Do not give your bank account details to anyone cold-calling you, and only follow advice from the council for claiming your council tax energy rebate.

More information: Council Tax rebate 2022