We are launching our second Council Tax Rebate Grant discretionary scheme. This is offering financial support to some of the West Suffolk households who weren’t eligible for the main Government scheme, to help towards the costs of increased energy bills this winter.
About the main Council Tax Rebate Grant scheme
As a brief reminder, the Government’s Council Tax Rebate Grant, administered locally by West Suffolk Council working with Anglia Revenues Partnership, is to help households with the rising cost of energy bills.
Under the main scheme, a grant of £150 was available to households in Council Tax bands A-D. The Council, and Anglia Revenues Partnership has already administered this scheme with more than £9 million paid to over 62,000 households in West Suffolk. This scheme is now fully paid out.
Discretionary – an update on progress on our first phase of the scheme
The Council was also given £270,300 “discretionary” money by Government to target support to the households the local authority identifies as most in need.
I wrote on 12 July to outline the first phase discretionary scheme.
This was offering £150 of support to households in:
- The Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme, Council Tax bands E-H
- The Severe Mental Impairment exemption scheme, Council Tax bands E-H
- The Disabled Band Reduction scheme, Council Tax bands F-H (Note band E households will have been eligible for the £150 under the main Government scheme which has now been fully paid out).
In addition, we are also paying out a £20 top up to all households (Council Tax bands A-H) that are in the Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme. This will be paid in the same way that the households have been paid, or are due to receive, the £150 grant.
To date we have paid out over £190,000 under this discretionary scheme to around 8,750 West Suffolk households. Anglia Revenues Partnership has written to the 107 eligible households who are not on direct debit, inviting them to complete a form and to call their helpline on 01842 756456 if they have any concerns or need assistance. The deadline for them to complete the form is 31 July.
Those who complete both the form and the required pre-payment checks should receive their money around 10 August while those who don’t will have the money applied to their Council Tax account. ARP will then make repeat efforts to contact those who are subsequently in credit on their Council Tax bill, to get the money paid to them. This offers the quickest way of ensuring that the money gets to eligible residents ahead of the winter.
Please note, ARP will only ask for bank details for LCTRS, SMI or DBR households where the resident has called the designated helpline for help to complete the online form. Any other phone contact from ARP will encourage the residents to call the helpline number on their letter.
We anticipate around £211,740 to be paid out of the fund from the above grants to LCTRS, SMI and DBR households in West Suffolk.
There’s more information on our webpage at www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/counciltax/council-tax-rebate-grant.cfm
Details of the second phase of discretionary scheme
Using the remaining discretionary funding of around £58,560, we are launching a second phase discretionary scheme to help people who may not have received the grant but who are responsible for heating costs.
Our discretionary scheme includes people who have been in care and placed in accommodation by a local authority since April 2022 and people who were homeless and placed in accommodation by the Council’s housing team since April 2022. In both cases they need to be responsible for paying energy bills in their new home to meet the grant criteria.
Grants are also available for residents living in Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMOs) and people in other accommodation where the landlord pays the Council Tax, but the residents pay the energy bills. Under this category, residents must have been living at the address on 1 April this year. Households in Council Tax bands E-H who were at their address on 1 April this year, can also apply for a grant under exceptional hardship.
The table below details the grant amounts, a summary of the criteria and how we and Anglia Revenues Partnership will be encouraging them to complete a form to get the money.
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Who is it for?
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How much is it? | Summary of Criteria | How are they being contacted |
| People who were in care or temporary accommodation and moved into new tenancy after 1 April 2022. | £170 |
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Anglia Revenues Partnership (ARP) to write directly to these households.
Phone contact may also be made encouraging residents to complete form. |
| As above but in a House of Multiple Occupation | Up to £100 | As above but not responsible for Council Tax as paid by the Landlord. | As above |
| Residents in Houses of Multiple Occupancy and other accommodation where the landlord pays the Council Tax but the applicant pays for energy. Residents will need to show that they were in the property on 1 April 2022. | Up to £100 |
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West Suffolk Council will write to registered Houses of Multiple Occupancy encouraging occupiers to apply, while ARP will write to landlords to ask that they encourage their tenants. |
| Residents in band E-H homes who do not meet the above categories but are experiencing exceptional financial hardship. Residents will need to show that they were in the property on 1 April 2022. | Up to £150 | Applicants must be able to demonstrate exceptional financial hardship. This funding may include residents who have a pre-payment meter for gas and/or electricity, and who have a current Individual Voluntary Arrangement in place. | We will highlight this through the media, social media, as well as writing to stakeholders including our housing team, councillors, town and parish councils, community groups and support organisations and NHS partners. |
Residents who believe they may be eligible can check and apply at https://www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/counciltax/phase-2-discretionary-ct-rebate-grant.cfm