On 3 February 2022 the chancellor of the exchequer announced that an Energy Bills Rebate will be provided to households in England in April 2022 to help protect them from rising energy costs.

This includes a £150 payment for most households in council tax bands A-D. Almost 90% of Amber Valley properties are A-D, so the numbers we will have to process will be around 52,000.

The government’s description as a “council tax rebate” is misleading. It should more accurately be described as a “£150 payment using council tax records and based on council tax bands”.

The £150 will not reduce your council tax liability and you should continue to pay your bill as normal. It is intended that the £150 payments will be made direct to bank accounts as soon as possible.

What do we know so far?

The £150 will be payable to households in bands A-D in England which are liable for council tax on 1 April 2022. This will include occupiers whose bill is £0 due to an existing award of council tax support, and to certain exempt dwellings (where the occupier is exempt, not if the property is unoccupied).

Only one £150 payment should be made per household, regardless of the number of occupants or liable council tax payers.

The £150 will not be payable in respect of empty / unoccupied properties or second homes.

How will the payment be processed?

Councils are currently working to extract data from their council tax system to enable £150 payments to be paid automatically in to the bank accounts of those people who qualify for the £150 and who currently pay their council tax by direct debit. Councils hoping to process these by the end of April 2022.

If you do not pay your council tax by direct debit you will need to provide your bank details to enable us to make your £150 payment, you will be asked to do this by an online application form on the council website. Councils are aiming to have this online form available from the end of April 2022

Councils will aim to process these payments within 6-8 weeks after validating your application.

What if I’m not eligible?

For those who need help with their energy bills but are not eligible for the £150 government rebate, local authorities will receive a proportion of £144 million of discretionary funding to fund £150 payments to vulnerable people and individuals on low incomes who are liable for council tax for properties in bands E-H.

To apply you must:

• need help with your energy bills
• not be eligible for the £150 government rebate
• be liable for council tax for a banded E-H property in Amber Valley as at 1 April 2022
• be in receipt of one of the following benefits:
  Pension credit
  Universal credit
  Working tax credit
  Child tax credit
  Employment and support allowance
  Jobseeker’s allowance
  Income support
  Housing benefit
  Council tax support

What’s next?

Further Information on the £150 payments and the discretionary fund will be available as soon as possible.

Warning about potential scammers

Residents are warned to be on their guard against telephone or email scammers offering this energy bills rebate.

You should never give out personal details over the phone or by email, and the council will never ask you to do this for the £150 payment. If you have received a call or email about this scheme and have any doubts, you should ring the council on 01773 570222. You can report this crime by visiting www.actionfraud.police.uk.

Contact the team directly on 01773 570222 or email enquiry@ambervalley.gov.uk