Decision details

That the attached policy for the Council Tax Energy Bills Rebate – discretionary scheme is the approved policy for Gloucester City Council, and that the Section 151 officer is authorised to make technical policy amendments to ensure the scheme meets the criteria set down by Government and the Council.

On 03 February 2022, the Government announced additional financial support for eligible households to meet rising energy costs.  The Energy Rebate scheme is to be administered via the council tax system and comprises two strands; a mandatory scheme, predominantly agreed by Government, which will see £150 payments issued to all eligible households in council tax bands A-D, and a discretionary scheme, which is to be set at local level having regard to local need, government guidance and the level of discretionary funding awarded to Gloucester City Council.

This decision is only concerned with the discretionary scheme, the standard scheme is mandated by central government. 

The purpose of the standard scheme is to make a one off payment of £150 to all eligible households who are energy bill payers but who are not covered by the standard mandatory energy rebate scheme. 

Eligibility is defined as follows, as at 01 April 2022 the household’s sole or main dwelling in a residence must meet the following conditions:

·       A council tax payer in a property within bands E – H, who is the energy bill payer and is in receipt of council tax support or

·       A council tax payer in a property within bands E – H, who is the energy bill payer and has a council tax disregard due to carer or Severe Mental Impairment discount or

·       A council tax payer in a property within bands F – H, who is the energy bill payer and has a council tax reduction for disability (disabled band reduction) or

·       Council Tax payers who had lodged a successful banding appeal with the VOA prior to the 03 February 2022, and who would have been eligible under the standard scheme had the outcome of that appeal been decided prior to 01 APRIL 2022;  

For the avoidance of doubt, a property that meets all the eligibility criteria, but has a nil council tax charge as a result of council tax reduction, will be eligible for an energy rebate under this scheme.

Should any residual funding remain after the four categories above are processed and refunded, then the S151 officer may make an additional category available to utilise funding.

The effective date for the energy rebate scheme is 01 April 2022.  

Where all eligibility criteria are met the council will make a payment of £150 per household, regardless of the number of occupants of that household.

Tranche A – Where the council holds a direct debit instruction for the council taxpayer of an eligible household, payment will be made to the bank account details held, providing a successful direct debit has been paid since April 2022. 

Payments will not automatically be made where the name of the bank details held does not match a liable party and further information will be sought from the liable party in these situations.

Tranche B – residual city residents where the council does not hold a current direct debit instruction for an eligible household.  The council will make reasonable attempts to contact the household to supply the necessary bank details by asking the resident to complete a short application which may be hosted online.

A more traditional process will be put in place to ensure that those who are not ‘digital’ are not excluded from the rebate.

Where the council is unsuccessful in contacting the household but is of the opinion the household meets the eligibility criteria, the energy rebate will be credited to the council tax account.

The council has a duty to ensure that payments are made correctly, and in some cases, will require households to verify their eligibility to the rebate.  Where eligibility cannot be verified and the household fails to respond to requests, then no payment will be made.

The council will not accept deliberation manipulation of this scheme or fraud.  Any person caught falsifying information in order to obtain a council tax energy rebate will have to repay any amounts falsely claimed and will face prosecution.

The Revenues and Benefits Team will administer the scheme on behalf of the Council and the £150 energy bills rebate will be dispersed to eligible local residents as soon as practicable.

Government guidance for this scheme - Support for energy bills – the council tax rebate 2022-23: billing authority guidance - is produced as Appendix A.

Gloucester City Council’s Council Tax Energy Rebate Discretionary scheme is produced as Appendix B.

The council tax energy bill rebate discretionary scheme is mandatory for billing authorities to devise and deliver financial assistance to those eligible households, as determined in the council’s local policy.