Wokingham Council Tax Rebate – Energy Bill Rebate Starts
Over 9,000 local households, who live in homes in council tax bands A to D and do not pay their council tax by direct debit, are being urged to look out for a letter from the council advising them they may be eligible to apply for the £150 energy tax rebate.
Those living in properties rated E who qualify for the disabled band reduction may also be eligible to receive this rebate.
The one-off £150 energy rebate is a national scheme, aimed at helping offset the rising costs of energy bills. Over the past month Wokingham Borough Council has issued the rebate to nearly 26,000 eligible households who pay by direct debit and has started the process of making payments to the remaining residents who pay in other ways, such as online, by bank transfer or in the post office.
Whilst the council was able to pay the rebate automatically to households who pay their council tax bill by direct debit, those not set up for direct debit will need to apply to ensure their rebate is paid.
How to apply for your energy rebate
These households will receive a letter from the council encouraging them to complete an on-line application form which will ask for their council tax property reference number and account number (both of which can be found on the latest council tax bill) and bank details along with a supporting bank statement to help verify their identity.
Once details have been verified, payment will be made directly into the approved bank account starting from the end of May.
Only one rebate can be paid per household and properties that are empty, unoccupied or second homes are not eligible.
The online form can be accessed on the council’s website energy bill rebate page.
Wokingham Council Tax Rebate For Those Unable To Apply Online
Those who are unable to apply online can email the council tax team at ctaxrebate@wokingham.gov.uk or call them on (0118) 974 6000. Please note that lines are expected to be incredibly busy in the initial weeks and it may take time to get through, but please keep visiting the council’s website for further information.
Residents are encouraged to sign up to pay their council tax by direct debit to speed up future payments should further schemes be announced.
Graham Ebers, deputy chief executive and director of resources and assets, said: “Our council tax team has worked flat out to make sure they could get the first tranche of payments out as quickly as possible and will continue to work hard to get these final rebate payments made as we know this support is so important to people in need.
“However, with over 9,000 applications to be individually verified, this will take time and we’d ask people to bear with us whilst we complete this process. If you are able to apply online we’d encourage you to do so as it should help speed up your application and ensure your details are correct.”
Additional support for residents
Worrying about money can feel overwhelming, so please remember help is here.
The council has been awarded a sum of money from Central Government to help residents who are struggling with rising living costs. They will be working closely with the local voluntary sector to distribute the Household Support Fund – please keep an eye on our Local Support Hub for more information about this and other sources of support available to help.
If you are worried about debt you can also contact One Front Door, led by Citizens Advice Wokingham, for a confidential chat, on 0808 278 7958 Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, or via the website.
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