Council tax rebate: factsheet
This factsheet provides answers to the most frequently asked questions by households about the council tax rebate.
Applies to England
Higher than expected global energy and goods prices following the pandemic have already led to an unavoidable increase in the cost of living across the world.
As part of its targeted response to rising energy bills, the government introduced a £150 council tax rebate.
1. What is the council tax rebate?
The council tax rebate provides a payment of £150 to eligible households in England.
Alongside the core council tax rebate scheme, local councils have been provided with £144 million of discretionary funding to support any household suffering financial hardship as a result of rising energy bills.
2. Am I eligible for the core council tax rebate scheme?
Households are eligible for the council tax rebate if they were liable for council tax on, and lived in, a property in council tax bands A to D as their main home on 1 April 2022.
3. How can I apply for the council tax rebate?
The council tax rebate scheme is being delivered by local councils. If you are eligible, but have not yet received your £150, you should contact your council as soon as possible. They will be best placed to advise on whether you are eligible and how you can receive support if you are.
All payments will need to have been claimed by 30 November when the scheme ends.
4. When does the council tax rebate scheme close?
Payments to eligible households under the core council tax rebate and the discretionary fund can be made up until 30 November 2022.
5. How can I apply for support from my council’s discretionary fund?
Each local council will determine how to make best use of their discretionary funding with regard to local circumstances.
Once local councils have determined the criteria for their discretionary fund, information should be available on their websites with details of who is eligible and how the support will be paid.
You should contact your local council directly if you are unsure if you meet the eligibility criteria for their discretionary fund or if you are unsure about how to make a claim. All payments will need to have been claimed by 30 November when the scheme ends.
6. Should I have received the rebate as a discount on my council tax bill?
Where a household was eligible for the rebate and their local council did not already hold payment details as a result of a direct debit instruction, the local council may have offered the option to receive the rebate as a credit to a household’s council tax account.
Where it had not been possible to make the rebate payment by other means, local councils may have automatically applied the payment as a credit to a household’s council tax account.
7. Do I have to pay the £150 back?
No. The £150 council tax rebate does not have to be paid back.
8. How do I know what council tax band I am in?
If you are not sure which council tax band your property is in, you can check by visiting Check your Council Tax band.
9. Who is my local council?
If you are not sure who your local council is, you can check by visiting Find your local council.
10. What support can I access if I am not eligible for the council tax rebate or the discretionary fund?
A range of government support is available for households with the rising cost of living, details of which can be found as follows: Help for Households.
In addition, the government’s Energy Bills Support Scheme, will provide all domestic energy customers in Great Britain with a £400 grant to help with the cost of energy bills. Further information can be found as follows: Getting the Energy Bills Support Scheme discount.