Council Tax energy bills rebate – details announced

All households living in property bands A-D will receive a one-off £150 payment as part of a national scheme.

Hartlepool Borough Council has also decided to extend the rebate to band E properties - using discretionary funding provided by the Government to support hard-pressed households which don’t qualify for the main scheme.

Residents who receive Local Council Tax Support will qualify for a £150 rebate irrespective of their property band.

Members of the Finance and Policy Committee heard that 97% of households in the Borough will eventually receive a rebate.

Councillor Shane Moore, Chair of the committee and Leader of the Council, proposed the extension of the rebate to cover band E, saying the band spans a wide property price range and will inevitably include many more households struggling with their energy bills.

The intention is for rebates to be paid as soon as possible after 1st April, with the majority of payments during April and May.

Approximately 21,000 households currently pay their Council Tax by Direct Debit and the Council aims to pay the rebate into their bank accounts after their first instalment of the 2022/23 financial year.

Residents who don’t have a Direct Debit arrangement can set one up online at https://online.hartlepool.gov.uk/MyServices by clicking on the “Council Tax” button.

Non-Direct Debit payees will be written to by the Council during April outlining how to claim their rebate.