Households to receive details of council tax rebates
Most homes will get the cost of living rebate automatically but some may have to claim - Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
Arrangements must be made for tens of thousands of Suffolk homes to get their council tax rebate from April because they do not pay by direct debit, it has emerged.
Households that don’t pay by direct debit may have to make a claim, rather than receiving the rebate automatically.
Earlier this year the Government announced a £150 council tax rebate for homes in bands A-D to help combat rising cost of living pressures.
Homes that pay council tax by direct debit should see the cash directly paid into accounts from April in most cases.
But arrangements must be made for homes which do not pay by direct debit, and data from Suffolk’s authorities indicated that was more than 80,000 homes, although the numbers do include those with 100% council tax discount or exemptions, and therefore may not be eligible.
Suffolk’s councils will be getting in touch with council taxpayers outlining the process in due course.
Babergh and Mid Suffolk district councils expect a letter is likely, while East Suffolk Council said it was “following national guidance and contacting all non-direct debit households to enable them to claim”.
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It added: “To assist those digitally excluded, this will include a letter with a link to an online form or our contact number.”
Ipswich Borough Council said arrangements would be shaped over the next few weeks and communicated to homes.
East Suffolk has the most with 26,754 homes not paying by direct debit, while Ipswich has an estimated 20,000. West Suffolk has just under 18,000, Mid Suffolk an estimated 8,500 and Babergh 7,500.
The Government’s funding allocation for Suffolk’s authorities totals nearly £43.5m to cover the rebate, according to data from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove said: “As we emerge from the pandemic, we understand the pressures facing many families as global inflation levels increase. The support we have introduced will help millions of people, particularly those on the lowest incomes and the most vulnerable.
“We continue to stand behind the British people and I urge everyone who is eligible to claim this rebate to do so.”
