Thousands to get up to £150 extra FREE cash as council tax rebates topped up
THOUSANDS of households will get up to an extra £150 in FREE cash on top of their council tax rebate.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced in February that 28million taxpayers would get a £150 council tax rebate.
The relief was unveiled in order to help households ease the cost of living pinch while bills from energy to food and fuel spiral.
You are entitled to the one-off cash payment - which does not need to be paid back - if your property falls within the council tax band of A to D.
Local councils are in charge of dishing out the help to households - but the exact date you'll see it land in your account will vary.
It will depend on how you pay your council tax bill - and it may be caught up in widespread delays paying the help.
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But some councils are giving out MORE than £150 to help struggling residents.
Who is giving out more help?
The Sun has spotted a number of councils boosting council tax rebate payments.
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council announced it would be adding an extra £15 onto this amount - meaning eligible households will get £165 in total.
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But residents in financial difficulty will get even more than this - and the council has expanded which council tax bands are eligible for the financial help.
Households in tax bands A to H who meet the following criteria could get £185 in total. They must:
- get council tax support or housing benefit
- have a class I or J exemption - where you're living elsewhere to receive or provide care
- have a class W exemption - where the property is an annexe occupied by a dependant relative
- get Disabled Persons Relief
- the property is a HMO (House in Multiple Occupation)
These households will get the £165 payment, and a further £20 top up.
North Warwickshire Borough Council is also bumping up payments.
You could DOUBLE your council tax rebate by applying for an energy rebate as well - which means you would get £300 in total.
You need to meet the following criteria to be eligible to apply:
- get council tax support or another means tested benefit like Universal Credit
- you pay the energy bill directly to your supplier
- you have less than £3,000 in savings
- have weekly earnings of less than 37 hours times the national minimum wage
How do I find out if I can get my £150 council tax rebate boosted?
To find out whether your local council is offering more cash than £150 for the council tax rebate, you should contact it for more information.
To find your local authority, use the 's council finder tool.
Head to your council's website, where more information about additional energy rebate payments should be listed.
Otherwise, you should call your council about the help available.
If it is not offering more cash, then there are other ways you could get help.
Your local council may also be able to help with cash and grants if you are struggling with bills through the Household Support Scheme.
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And some may offer welfare assistance schemes where you can get cash our vouchers to put towards your energy bills.
You should speak to your energy supplier in the first instance as they have schemes in place to help with bills and arrears, including hardship funds and grants.
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