Council Tax Rebate Application Process Opens for Remaining Residents

THE Council Tax rebate application process for Reading residents who live in Band A – D properties and do not pay by direct debit is now open.

Residents are invited to apply for their payments at Council Tax rebate - Reading Borough Council. Payments can be made up to October this year, so residents have some weeks to fill in their application.

£150 payments have already been made to the estimated 40,000 residents who pay their Council Tax by direct debit. Residents who pay by direct debit but who have not yet received their payment are similarly asked to fill in the application form online.

Residents applying for the £150 rebate payment need to register for an account and ensure they have the following information to hand when filling out the form:

• Their Council Tax Reference (starts with a 6 and can be found on your Council Tax bill)
• Property reference to ensure a property is only paid once (this can be easily obtained via the Valuation Office Agency. Just search using your postcode, select your property from the list and make a note of the Local Authority reference number)
• Bank account details for payment to be made to

Residents who need help in making the application, or do not have access to the internet, can call the Council’s Customer Service Team on 0118 937 3727.

There are additionally organisations such as Reading CAB https://rcab.org.uk/, Reading Age UK https://www.ageuk.org.uk/reading/  Reading Welfare Rights https://readingspecialist.co.uk/ or Reading Communicare https://www.communicare.org.uk/ who can help residents who may be struggling to fill in the application form.

For residents who need help with energy bills but are not eligible for the £150 rebate - such as households on income support in higher bands (E-H) - local authorities have also received discretionary funding from Government to help. These residents will also be invited to apply for discretionary payments of £150. This application process is expected to begin in June.

Residents are reminded that under the Government’s scheme, households in Council Tax Bands A – D are eligible for the rebate and that the rebate will not have to be repaid. Residents not sure which band they are in can check their Council Tax account online or refer to their hard copy Council Tax bill. Alternatively check your Council Tax band at https://www.gov.uk/council-tax-bands

More information on the Council Tax rebate scheme, as well as the discretionary scheme, can be found at  Council Tax rebate - Reading Borough Council.