Council Tax rebate
Latest update Monday 15 August 2022.
See how you will receive the payment:
£150 Council Tax rebate
As part of the government's initiative to help households with rising energy costs, they have announced a one-off £150 Council Tax rebate for certain households. This is not a Council Tax refund but help towards your energy costs administered by the Council Tax Department.
Energy rebate payments are to be paid from April and must be paid by 30 September 2022 to all qualifying applicants.
Please be patient and do not contact us but keep checking this page for up-to-date information. We understand how important these payments are to you and we are working hard to distribute the rebates as quickly as possible, and by the 30 September 2022 deadline.
Who will qualify?
- If you are a liable Council Tax payer in band A to D occupying the property on 1 April 2022
- If you are a liable Council Tax payer occupying the property on 1 April 2022 and are in band E but you are receiving disabled relief
- The property is exempt but solely occupied by students or school leavers, under 18s, severely mentally impaired or is an annexe occupied with dependant relatives
- If you receive Council Tax Reduction (even if you have no Council Tax to pay) and are in a band A to D (or E with disabled relief), you will still be entitled to the payment
Who will not qualify?
- Second homes
- Empty properties
- Exempt properties not listed in the qualifying section
If you don't know which band your property is in, you can find it on your latest Council Tax bill or use the Valuation Office website to check.
How will I receive the payment?
Direct debit payers
Most residents who pay their Council Tax by direct debit will have received their energy rebate now. If you have not yet paid your first Council Tax instalment by direct debit, the £150 will be paid into your bank account shortly after this payment has been taken.
New direct debit instruction set up after 5 July 2022
If we received your application to pay your Council Tax by direct debit after 5 July, you needed to apply for your energy rebate payment by midnight on 14 August. Please see below for how you will receive your rebate if you did not apply by this date.
Payments into your bank account show as ‘HEREFORD’ in the description on bank statements.
If you have already made a Council Tax payment via direct debit but have not received your energy rebate payment, it may be that we have tried to contact you to verify some information. Please email us at counciltax@herefordshire.gov.uk putting ‘energy rebate’ and your Council Tax reference in the email subject field so we can identify these emails as priority.
Non direct debit payers
If you don't pay by direct debit you needed to apply for your energy rebate payment by midnight on 14 August. Please see below for how you will receive your rebate if you did not apply by this date.
Closing date for applications
Applications closed at midnight on Sunday 14 August 2022.
If you did not submit an application by this date, your £150 energy rebate payment will be automatically credited to your Council Tax account by 30 September 2022. You will then receive a revised Council Tax bill detailing your reduced monthly instalment payments. If you have Council Tax arrears, the credit will reduce this balance first.
Once again we ask that you do not chase us for progress of payments so that staffing resources can be focused on processing your applications.
By accepting the energy rebate payment, you are confirming that you are entitled to receive it.
You must tell us within 21 days of a change in your circumstances if you are no longer eligible for this payment and Herefordshire Council reserves the right to recoup and claw back any funds obtained by fraud or through error.
Herefordshire Council will not accept deliberate manipulation or fraud, and any instances will be actively investigated. Any individual who falsifies their records or dishonestly provides inaccurate information may face prosecution.
Be scam aware
Please be aware of scams - Herefordshire Council may need to contact you to verify some of your information but will not request bank details from you over the telephone so please do not provide this information to any calls you may receive.
Any correspondence that is sent from Herefordshire Council regarding this Council Tax rebate will be sent from our official Council Tax email address which is counciltax@herefordshire.gov.uk
What if I am overdrawn in my bank account?
If you are overdrawn and do not want the bank to use the payment to pay off your overdraft, you can exercise your right to tell your bank how you want the money paid into your account to be used. View a sample letter that you may wish to use for this.
Paying your bill
The rebate does not mean you don't need to pay your Council Tax bill - you must continue to pay your Council Tax bill by the amounts and on the dates shown on your bill. If you are struggling to pay, please see Council Tax discretionary hardship payments.
What if I am not eligible?
If you are not entitled to the £150 rebate based on the above criteria, you may be eligible under our Discretionary Scheme. View the criteria for the discretionary scheme.
Payments for this will begin in September 2022 and will be made by the 30 November 2022 deadline.
Query about your Council Tax band?
If you think your property Council Tax band needs reviewing, you will need to contact the Valuation Office, using the links below:
Where can I find more information on the Energy Rebate?
Read GOV.UK's factsheet which answers some of the most common queries about the Council Tax Rebate.