Title

COUNCIL TAX

Council tax rebates now issued to 80% of eligible households

Nearly 80% of eligible households have now received their £150 council tax rebate, the latest figures have shown.

Nearly 80% of eligible households have now received their £150 council tax rebate, the latest figures have shown.

The rebate was announced in February by the Government to help people struggling with rising energy bills.

The figures show that 15 million households have received the rebate, including over 90% of those who usually pay using direct debit.

'Councils are continuing to focus their efforts on those who do not pay their council tax by direct debit, or where the details of those who pay by direct debit do not match council records,' said a spokesperson for the Local Government Association.

'Many councils have invited online applications and offered other options such as transfer to a nominated bank account, or voucher-based payments such as Post Office Payments.'

More than 300,000 households have also received financial help from their local council through the £144m discretionary fund for those not covered by the rebate.

COUNCIL TAX

Councils' financial pressures: The story behind rising EFS demand

By Joanne Pitt | 27 July 2026

Analysis by CIPFA of requests by councils for exceptional financial support (EFS) shows some are stabilising their position and fewer are citing commercial p...

COUNCIL TAX

Is public service delivery really dead?

By Ben Page | 22 July 2026

Performance alone does not win public trust. While better outcomes matter, public opinion is shaped much more by how services are experienced, communicated a...

COUNCIL TAX

Rethinking council tax for devo

By Ian Miller | 20 July 2026

Replacing central property surcharges with local tax powers would strengthen councils, accountability and long-term fiscal devolution ambitions, writes Ian M...

COUNCIL TAX

Oxfordshire veto devo deal

By William Eichler | 01 July 2026

Oxford City Council has voiced its disappointment after Oxfordshire CC vetoed a devolution deal which it argues could have brought billions in investment to ...

Popular articles by Laura Sharman