Councils received extra funding to provide support to vulnerable households who were not eligible for the £150 Council Tax energy rebate.
Due to limited funding, it is not possible to provide support to all households who do not qualify for the core scheme.
The following groups will receive an automatic payment:
| Group | Council Tax band | Payment |
|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | E to H who were also in receipt of Council Tax Support on 1 April 2022 | £170 |
| Group 2 | A to D who were also in receipt of Council Tax Support, or a Severely Mentally Impaired (SMI) Exemption on 1 Aril 2022 | £20 ‘top-up’ |
| Group 3 | Council Tax properties bands E to H who were in receipt of a SMI Exemption on 1 April 2022 | £170 |
Eligible residents do not need to apply. Households will receive the payment as a credit on their Council Tax Account by 30 November 2022. This is so no eligible household identified based on our records misses out.
You will be able to request the payment as a refund after that date.
Eligibility criteria
Residents who have not received a payment under the core scheme and who do not fall into one of the groups above can apply for a Discretionary Energy Rebate payment of £150.
You must be an energy bill payer occupying a property in Wirral as a sole or main residence and meet one of the following criteria:
- Group 4 - You moved into a Council Tax property band A – D after 1 April 2022 so were ineligible for the core Scheme
- Group 5 - You are not eligible for the core scheme and do not fall into any of the groups above and are not excluded (see below)
Who is excluded from applying?
- except for Group 2 above, no household that has already received a payment under the Council Tax Energy Rebate Scheme is eligible
- parties liable for Council Tax (or would be where the property is not exempt) that are a local authority, a corporate body or other body such as a housing association, the government or governmental body, are ineligible for any award under this scheme
- students living in halls of residence are ineligible for an award under this scheme
How to apply
Eligible residents in Groups 1, 2 and 3 do not need to apply.
All other residents must complete an online application below.
Wirral Council are using Ascendant Solutions Ltd to verify all our applications for the Energy Rebate payments. This is to help make payments as quickly as possible and reduce any fraudulent claims.
Please seek help from family or friends if you need assistance in applying in the first instance. There is very limited capacity to assist residents to complete the application form.
The deadline for applying and providing supporting evidence is 15 November 2022. The application deadline may be earlier than this date if all funds have been exhausted.
What evidence do I need to provide?
- a scan or photo of your bank statement dated within the last 3 months. This must show the bank name, bank account holders name(s), sort code and account number. Please note, we do not need to see your transactions or account balance
- a copy of at least one recent gas or electricity bill showing usage – eligible HMO properties only
- a copy of your tenancy agreement – eligible HMO properties only
How will I receive the payment?
Payments will go directly into your bank account.
We will need permission from the account holder if the resident does not have a bank account.
If a resident has other money paid into a Third Parties' Account, evidence of that will be sufficient.
All payments will be made by 30 November 2022.
Contact us
Our phone lines are very busy assisting residents who need to apply for the Discretionary Energy Rebate Scheme but cannot do so online. Those residents can contact us on (0151) 606 2002.
Hold times may be longer than usual due to the number of residents who need help.
For all other enquiries, please email energyrebate@wirral.gov.uk. Please include your Council Tax account reference, your full name, and your address.
The PDF file above may not be suitable to view for people with disabilities, users of assistive technology or mobile phone devices.
Beware of scams
Please do not give any bank details over the phone. We will not ring and ask you to provide them over the phone.
If you need assistance completing an application this should only be done using the contact details given above.
If it's a text or email, don't click on any links to provide your bank details, it’s a scam.
If you are contacted and are unsure, do not provide any information and contact the council directly.
Find out more about Council Tax scams
£150 Council Tax Energy Rebate
The Government announced a £150 payment to help with energy costs for people whose homes are in council tax bands A-D.
All payments have now been processed and the scheme is now closed.
Some eligible customers did not apply for the payment to be made directly into their bank account before the deadline.
Those customers have had the £150 credited to their Council Tax Accounts.
This was so that no eligible households missed out on the £150 payment.
The total payments received has increased by £150.00 so the total amount due has reduced by £150.
In most cases, the payment has been allocated to the next instalment so please check your Adjusted Bill when you receive it. You may not have to request the payment as a refund as you pay less next month.
If your account is now in credit you can apply for a refund
These refund requests may take some time to process due to the number of residents who did not complete the online application before the deadline.
To get your bills electronically please sign up for e-billing via Wirral My Account
Read the full guidance about the £150 Council Tax Rebate on GOV.UK