Liverpool council tax rebate: when will I get £150 payment, how to apply and claim, latest council update

Liverpool Council has issued another update on when households can expect their council tax energy rebate.

When the £150 scheme was announced back in April, it was expected that payments would be made by the start of that month and into May to the near quarter of a million homes.

Yet some residents across the city have not received the financial support for their energy bills. In a message issued online, Liverpool Council said : “We know lots of you are asking when you will get your Council Tax Energy Rebate. We are processing them as fast as we can, and we have already made over 90,000 payments.”

The £150 rebate is part of a £32m scheme confirmed by the Government in a bid to ease pressure on household living costs.

The local authority said residents who pay by direct debit are receiving their rebate first as their bank details are already on its system.

The majority of those have now been paid, according to Liverpool Council.

It added: “The remaining Direct Debit payers, where a query has been raised on our systems, are being looked at as a priority.

“If we can verify eligibility using our existing records, we will do so. If we can’t, we will be in touch to ask for additional evidence.”

Here is everything you need to know about the rebate in Liverpool:

What is the council tax rebate?

The government is offering a one-off payment of £150 to eligible beneficiaries across the United Kingdom.

This was brought in as the energy price cap increased by £693 to £1,971 for more than 22 million households.

You will not need to repay the rebate and it will not be treated as income for tax or benefit purposes - it is limited to one per eligible household.

To find out more about the energy rebate scheme, visit the government’s official website.

Who is eligible for the council tax rebate?

In order to qualify for the rebate, Liverpool City Council have confirmed that you must be liable for Council Tax.

Your household must also be within the tax bands A to D on April 1, 2022.

Band E households are also eligible but have an alternate band D valuation as a result of the disabled band reduction scheme.

An eligible household must be a chargeable dwelling, or within these following categories: N (occupied by students) ; S (occupied by residents under the age of 18) ; U (occupied by residents who are severely mentally impaired) and W (one of two dwellings in a single property occupied by a dependant relative of a person living in another dwelling in the property)

How will the council tax rebate be paid?

According to Liverpool City Council, the £150 council tax rebate will be paid directly into your bank account as long as you pay Council Tax via direct debit.

Liverpool Council has issued another update on when households can expect their council tax energy rebate.

Those who paid their first direct debit in May are required to apply online and Liverpool Council is contacting those affected.

Letters are being sent out to households who pay by standing order, have Council Tax paid through their benefits or pay through their Liverpool Council salary, with details of how to apply.

Those in this bracket can have the £150 deducted from their council tax bill. The council added: “Due to the large number of households entitled to claim, the letters are being sent out in batches.

“This is so that we can manage the processing of applications effectively. We will be putting in place alternative procedures for people without internet access, with details included in the letter.”

When will the council tax rebate be paid?

Local authorities across the country started the roll out of the £150 council tax rebate on April 21.

This will be received through direct debit, so no action is necessary - those who do not pay their tax through direct debit should be contacted in due course.

Those who can’t afford to wait until the payment is made are being directed to the support options available via Liverpool Council’s website.

Residents in neighbouring authorities such as Knowsley received their payments as early as the end of April.

What if I am ineligible for the council tax rebate?

If you find that you are ineligible for the £150 rebate, the government has provided £144 million to councils across the country to provide support.

Liverpool City Council will provide support to ineligible households through a discretionary fund.

The authority update said: “We do know there are some families living in larger properties in Bands E to H that will also be struggling, so in the near future we will be releasing details of a discretionary scheme that they may be eligible to apply for.”

More information will be provided on the criteria needed to qualify for the scheme in the coming weeks - check the official Liverpool City Council website for updates.

How to check your tax band

You can check your Council Tax band online at GOV.uk.

You can also find this out on your annual bill which is sent to you in March 2022.