Council Tax Energy Rebate: Discretionary Fund Top-Up

Councillor Miles Parkinson OBE, Leader of the Council, said,

“To date the Council have provided more than £5,000,000 in main Council Tax Energy Rebate, supporting more than 34,000 households across the borough.

“To support local residents with the rising cost of living, I am pleased to announce that the Council have distributed its remaining £200,000 of Government funded allocation for the Discretionary Energy Rebate scheme. This support distributed across approximately 6900 households provides a further £28.00 top-up award to every household in the borough that is in receipt of Council Tax Support.

“The award will be credited directly to households Council Tax account. Residents do not need to contact the Council to apply for this award, and the Council will notify all eligible households by letter or email. For these households, this discretionary award is in addition to the main £150.00 Energy Rebate administered by the Council earlier this year.

“It is important that we look to support our residents throughout these difficult times ensuring funds are allocated to all eligible households.”

The Government, on 3 February 2022, announced a package of support known as the Energy Bills Rebate to help households with rising energy bills, worth £9.1 billion in 2022-23. This includes:

• A £150 non-repayable rebate for households in England in council tax bands A – D, known as the Council Tax Rebate.
• £144 million of discretionary funding for billing authorities to support households who are in need but are not eligible for the Council Tax Rebate, known as the Discretionary Fund.

Details of the eligibility criteria and application process for the Councils’ Discretionary Fund are now available on the Council’s website: https://www.hyndburnbc.gov.uk/counciltax/15/

The scheme will operate in accordance with Government guidelines and funding availability.