Council tax rebate

Delidi

Ohhh  ok thanks that makes sense now yes why call it a council tax rebate?? I'm sure they just try to confuse people! 😆

Spoonie_Turtle

Delidi said:

Ohhh  ok thanks that makes sense now yes why call it a council tax rebate?? I'm sure they just try to confuse people! 😆

Most likely because it's based largely on council tax bands and liability, and administration by local councils will use existing direct debit instructions for account holders where possible - but I agree it is most certainly confusing!  The guidance also mentions that an acceptable alternative method (where DD details are not held) is a credit to the council tax account, just to make it even less clear …

calcotti

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Delidi said:

Ohhh  ok thanks that makes sense now yes why call it a council tax rebate?? I'm sure they just try to confuse people! 😆

Most likely because it's based largely on council tax bands and liability, and administration by local councils will use existing direct debit instructions for account holders where possible - but I agree it is most certainly confusing!  The guidance also mentions that an acceptable alternative method (where DD details are not held) is a credit to the council tax account, just to make it even less clear …

Notwithstanding what I posted earlier, the government leaflet sent to me with my Council Tax bill (received today) clearly calls it a 'Council Tax Rebate'!

Spoonie_Turtle

calcotti said:

Spoonie_Turtle said:

Delidi said:

Ohhh  ok thanks that makes sense now yes why call it a council tax rebate?? I'm sure they just try to confuse people! 😆

Most likely because it's based largely on council tax bands and liability, and administration by local councils will use existing direct debit instructions for account holders where possible - but I agree it is most certainly confusing!  The guidance also mentions that an acceptable alternative method (where DD details are not held) is a credit to the council tax account, just to make it even less clear …

Notwithstanding what I posted earlier, the government leaflet sent to me with my Council Tax bill (received today) clearly calls it a 'Council Tax Rebate'!

Indeed.  The usual 'why use a clear name when an obfuscating one would do?'!

sammyjammy

There will be lots of queries on here about why people have a random £150 in their bank accounts and where has it come from by people that don't read newspapers or watch the news!

NedS

sammyjammy said:

There will be lots of queries on here about why people have a random £150 in their bank accounts and where has it come from by people that don't read newspapers or watch the news!

[Rhetorical] Do people who do not read newspapers or watch the news read their bank statements to that amount of detail?

poppy12345

sammyjammy said:

There will be lots of queries on here about why people have a random £150 in their bank accounts and where has it come from by people that don't read newspapers or watch the news!

I had my council tax bill through the post today, until now i've only been able to view the amount online. My local Authority are giving an extra £50 off our bills this year which is part of a council tax discretionary payment award.

Anyway, in the letter it gives information about how the £150 will be paid, which is straight into your bank. It also advises that if you don't pay your CTR as a DD then to contact them to give them your bank details. If other Local Authorities send letters out with their bills then hopefully less people will be asking where it's come from lol.

Jude57

I've just spoken to a friend earlier today and mentioned the CT rebate and the £200 energy credit and although she's a fairly switched on person, she hadn't a clue that she would get these. She's retired and receives occupational, widow's occupational and State Pension so had thought she wouldn't qualify. She took some convincing but eventually believed me. She'd thought the annual cold weather payment she gets was all she would be entitled to. She's been retired for a long time but used to work in........ Council Tax.

I realise that these schemes have been implemented on the fly but I don't think the vast majority of the public understand them. The fact that one is effectively a grant of money and the other is a compulsory loan can only be adding to the confusion. The government leaflet in Council Tax bills will, like the rest of the included information, be unread by the large majority of recipients (I, too, worked in Council Tax) so calls to local Councils querying the scheme will be numerous. The government leaflet I've received in mine gives no information on how non-direct debit payers will receive the rebate and there's no clarity about that. It's all well and good using it as a credit to reduce Council Tax but frankly, people won't set the saving aside for fuel costs, it's just £15 more they can put towards on the monthly grocery shop.

calcotti

Jude57 said:

..The government leaflet I've received in mine gives no information on how non-direct debit payers will receive the rebate and there's no clarity about that. 

I would assume this is a standard leaflet. The reverse of mine says "For those who do not pay council tax via direct debit, your council will confirm how the rebate will be paid to you. Please make sure that communication is from your local council before providing payment details."

sheramber

Jude57 said:

I've just spoken to a friend earlier today and mentioned the CT rebate and the £200 energy credit and although she's a fairly switched on person, she hadn't a clue that she would get these. She's retired and receives occupational, widow's occupational and State Pension so had thought she wouldn't qualify. She took some convincing but eventually believed me. She'd thought the annual cold weather payment she gets was all she would be entitled to. She's been retired for a long time but used to work in........ Council Tax.

I realise that these schemes have been implemented on the fly but I don't think the vast majority of the public understand them. The fact that one is effectively a grant of money and the other is a compulsory loan can only be adding to the confusion. The government leaflet in Council Tax bills will, like the rest of the included information, be unread by the large majority of recipients (I, too, worked in Council Tax) so calls to local Councils querying the scheme will be numerous. The government leaflet I've received in mine gives no information on how non-direct debit payers will receive the rebate and there's no clarity about that. It's all well and good using it as a credit to reduce Council Tax but frankly, people won't set the saving aside for fuel costs, it's just £15 more they can put towards on the monthly grocery shop.

Does she live in Band A-D house?