Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Council tax rebate, what’s going on?

101 replies

Kanfuzed123 · 18/03/2022 21:47

Exactly that, what’s going on with it? Do you have to apply? I thought it was automatic. We live in a band d property and all we’ve seen is an increase! Not a whiff of this £150 rebate- what gives?

OP posts:
WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 18/03/2022 22:45

Also, how does it work with people who do not pay council tax at all? Such as people claiming CT benefit, or the small group of people who do not pay it anyway.

Isn't it the case that those claiming CT benefit do (technically) pay CT - but their bill is for £0.00, having been balanced off by the benefit? If I've understood it right, I presume you should still get it - i.e. if the amount you should owe for April is £0 then your balance owing will now stand at -£150 (i.e. in credit).

You'd probably still have to get in touch and get them to send you a cheque, though, as you obviously won't have a DD set up via which they could pay it to you automatically. I would really hope that no local councils would be nasty enough to insist on leaving it on your account as a perpetual credit, against any future (non-existent) payments, thus rendering it completely useless.

BrutusMcDogface · 18/03/2022 22:48

God, isn’t this all very depressing.

Thanks for the clarification, @Kanfuzed123

WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll · 18/03/2022 22:50

The £200 enforced loan is quite nasty in some ways too. As well as it barely touching the sides anyway, plenty of older teenagers and young adults living at home now will end up liable to 'repay' what they never personally received in the first place, if they move into a place of their own before the 'loan' repayment scheme is enacted.

Goldfishmountainclimber · 18/03/2022 22:58

Who qualifies for the Council Tax rebate?

Tealightsandd · 18/03/2022 23:00

@XenoBitch

Also, how does it work with people who do not pay council tax at all? Such as people claiming CT benefit, or the small group of people who do not pay it anyway.
In some areas, including mine (I checked online), council tax benefit is only a reduction, not the full amount.
murasaki · 18/03/2022 23:00

The enforced loan pisses me off a lot, I don't want to be in hock to this shower and would rather pay. I've not had my council tax bill yet, band c, will see how that works out. But I'd rather opt out of the energy bill thing.

murasaki · 18/03/2022 23:00

Also, if you pay no council tax, surely you don't get a free cash amount
? Is that true?

drawingpad · 18/03/2022 23:08

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

Also, how does it work with people who do not pay council tax at all? Such as people claiming CT benefit, or the small group of people who do not pay it anyway.

Isn't it the case that those claiming CT benefit do (technically) pay CT - but their bill is for £0.00, having been balanced off by the benefit? If I've understood it right, I presume you should still get it - i.e. if the amount you should owe for April is £0 then your balance owing will now stand at -£150 (i.e. in credit).

You'd probably still have to get in touch and get them to send you a cheque, though, as you obviously won't have a DD set up via which they could pay it to you automatically. I would really hope that no local councils would be nasty enough to insist on leaving it on your account as a perpetual credit, against any future (non-existent) payments, thus rendering it completely useless.

The bill isn't zero. The bill is whatever the amount is and the benefit is a payment towards the bill. Of the bill reduces the amount of benefit to cover it will also reduce

mrsfollowill · 18/03/2022 23:30

Plenty of people pay no council tax at all. The entire bill is covered by Council Tax support- these are generally people on full Universal Credit with no earnings at all or pensioners on Guaranteed Pension Credit.
The £150 will be paid as a credit to people who are in bands A-D and pay by Direct Debit- it is not means tested at all! If you are band E + you are considered 'well off' and in no need but there will a discretionary scheme apparently. Parliament announce things but the people who need to administer it get no advance knowledge/warning- just have to try and sort it out and field calls from angry taxpayers who call up shouting Boris said they will £150 off their bill. Instantly by all accounts. Such a joy working with public!

Tealightsandd · 18/03/2022 23:34

Plenty of people pay no council tax at all. The entire bill is covered by Council Tax support- these are generally people on full Universal Credit with no earnings at all or pensioners on Guaranteed Pension Credit.

Not always. With my council, people on universal credit or other benefits get a reduction but not the full amount.

Tiredtiredtired100 · 18/03/2022 23:38

@BrutusMcDogface actually councils can grant it to be people outside those bands based on need, it’s just granted automatically to those in lower bands.

mrsfollowill · 18/03/2022 23:43

Sorry! each authority have their own scheme and in mine there are zero bills- not the same everywhere. Utter nightmare to try and get say 20% off people. I'm really really old and remember Poll Tax in the 90's and 80% was the max- trying to get people to pay that 20% was impossible!

UserError012345 · 18/03/2022 23:51

Our council say:

If you do not pay council tax because you are exempt or get 100% Local Council Tax Reduction, you will still be entitled to the £150 payment.

waitingformytakeaway · 18/03/2022 23:52

Is there any way to opt out? Why do they just assume we all want it?!

cuno · 18/03/2022 23:54

My council said that the £150 will be paid into my bank account in April.

BarbaraofSeville · 19/03/2022 04:45

@waitingformytakeaway

Is there any way to opt out? Why do they just assume we all want it?!
I think it's easier to just give it to everyone rather than going through an application exercise as just more admin and a lot of the people who really need it won't apply.

If you don't want it because you don't think you need it, you can donate it to National Energy Action to help people who are really struggling with fuel poverty.

On the matter of whether people who don't pay council tax get the £150, I heard Martin Lewis talking about a discretionary fund for people who miss out, so that might help some people.

Moneysaving Expert always has signposting to any help available for this sort of thing. Worth a read through to see what you may qualify for.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/utilities/how-to-get-help-if-you-re-struggling-with-your-energy-bills-/

EveningOverRooftops · 19/03/2022 05:31

@WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll

Also, how does it work with people who do not pay council tax at all? Such as people claiming CT benefit, or the small group of people who do not pay it anyway.

Isn't it the case that those claiming CT benefit do (technically) pay CT - but their bill is for £0.00, having been balanced off by the benefit? If I've understood it right, I presume you should still get it - i.e. if the amount you should owe for April is £0 then your balance owing will now stand at -£150 (i.e. in credit).

You'd probably still have to get in touch and get them to send you a cheque, though, as you obviously won't have a DD set up via which they could pay it to you automatically. I would really hope that no local councils would be nasty enough to insist on leaving it on your account as a perpetual credit, against any future (non-existent) payments, thus rendering it completely useless.

Depends on the area you live.

Some areas you’re 100% CT funded if on benefits.

My area you’re only 75% CT funded and have to pay the rest of the CT out of your benefits. So if you’re single getting jobseekers type UC you’re properly broke and this is why I live in there be of the most deprived areas of my city.

It never used to be 75% here used to be 100% but austerity changed that and we’re on one of the highest cost of living areas outside of London due to second home ownership, air BnBs and tourism to our lovely southwest. We really could benefit from 100% funded council tax benefits here.

Billandben444 · 19/03/2022 05:36

Social Darwinism OP? Is this your buzz phrase for the week? Give it a rest, how is giving the 'less well-off' £150 fitting in with your survival of the fittest? And a quick Google would have answered all your uncertainties about how to get your handout.

JustAnotherPoster00 · 19/03/2022 05:45

@Billandben444

Social Darwinism OP? Is this your buzz phrase for the week? Give it a rest, how is giving the 'less well-off' £150 fitting in with your survival of the fittest? And a quick Google would have answered all your uncertainties about how to get your handout.
I know right, the Tories care for the poor, vulnerable and disabled and luckily we have people like you to come and remind us of that Hmm
Westfacing · 19/03/2022 05:57

@Billandben444

Social Darwinism OP? Is this your buzz phrase for the week? Give it a rest, how is giving the 'less well-off' £150 fitting in with your survival of the fittest? And a quick Google would have answered all your uncertainties about how to get your handout.
It's not a handout - it's a loan which will be taken back.
ChiefAdjusterOfRubensShorts · 19/03/2022 06:15

My council sent a leaflet saying that we would get the £150 payment once the first payment for the council tax year had gone through.

RiaG91 · 19/03/2022 06:16

We got our bill yesterday and it has increased. No mention of the rebate 🤷‍♀️

mogsrus · 19/03/2022 06:19

It would have been easier to discount the money in the appropriate bands instead of credit to everyone either r way you still get the cash, as usual they cocked it up. But if you pay DD it just gets in automatically, otherwise they let you know via communication, seeing council tax doesn’t start until April it will take as usual, time.

Yants · 19/03/2022 06:21

Is this rebate nationwide or just England? Not heard any mention at all of it for Wales.

Original poster
Kanfuzed123 · 19/03/2022 06:29

@Billandben444

Social Darwinism OP? Is this your buzz phrase for the week? Give it a rest, how is giving the 'less well-off' £150 fitting in with your survival of the fittest? And a quick Google would have answered all your uncertainties about how to get your handout.
Well… austerity that’s pushed people to the brink where only the truly wealthy are able to prosper sounds a bit like survival of the fittest to me? Or have you not heard about in work poverty or families choosing to heat or eat?

It’s also completely ludicrous that £150 as a one off payment when council tax is going up anyway will actually help anyone, especially with inflation at 7/8%

OP posts: