News release

21 September 2022

DISCRETIONARY ENERGY REBATE SCHEME LAUNCHED IN SOUTH LAKELAND

South Lakeland District has launched a Discretionary Energy Rebate Scheme which will award a one-off payment of £150 to help households in bands E to H properties who were not eligible to receive the mandatory £150 energy rebate.

Residents are eligible if they fell within one of the following categories on 1 April 2022:

• Households in Council Tax bands E to H where the liable person was in receipt of at least one of the following income-related benefits:

• Jobseeker’s Allowance (Income Based)
• Employment and Support Allowance (Income Related)
• Pension Credit – Guaranteed or Savings elements
• Income Support
• Housing Benefit
• Child Tax Credit
• Working Tax Credit
• Universal Credit
• Council Tax reduction

• Occupiers of houses in multiple occupation in bands A to H on 1st April 2022 who pay the energy bills and who were in receipt of one of the income related benefits listed above but where the landlord is liable to pay the Council Tax
• Households in properties in bands F to H with a disabled band reduction
• Households that receive a care leaver reduction
• Exempt properties where all of the occupiers are severely mentally impaired, all occupiers are students, all occupiers are under 18 and occupied annexes.

The district has been allocated £191,250 for the scheme and as funds are limited, it has been targeted at certain households.

Councillor Suzie Pye, South Lakeland District Council’s Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing and Poverty Alleviation, said: "The need for support is becoming ever more acute and SLDC is committed to making sure that as many households as possible benefit from this new discretionary fund.

"If you receive a letter inviting you to provide your bank details, or if you don't receive a letter but believe you are eligible, please apply. The process is totally secure and designed to get payments out as soon as possible."

As with the main energy rebate scheme, the property must have been occupied and someone’s sole or main residence on 1 April 2022.

The application window runs until 13 October 2022.

Eligible households are being identified now where they currently pay their Council Tax by Direct Debit. Payments in these cases will be made automatically.

Eligible households which do not pay by Direct Debit will receive a letter inviting them to provide their bank details through a secure application form on the SLDC website.

If you meet the eligibility criteria above and have not been paid or written to, you can still make an application through the form on the SLDC website.

Payments will be made to those who provide their bank details or apply during the application window once the scheme closes.

The aim is to have the majority of payments processed by 31 October 2022. All discretionary rebates must be paid by 30 November 2022.

Please visit www.southlakeland.gov.uk/discretionaryrebate for full details of the scheme and the links to apply.

Note

Eligible households which have not yet provided their bank details to receive the non-discretionary Council Tax Energy Rebate for homes in Council Tax bands A to D are being urged to do so before the closing date of 30 September 2022.

Anybody who has not responded by 23 September will have their Council Tax accounts credited with £150.

Please note SLDC will not call taxpayers to ask for bank details for the rebate payments and any communication will come in a letter.

For full details on the scheme and a link to the secure form to give us your bank details, please visit www.southlakeland.gov.uk/energyrebate.

Ends