TEIGNBRIDGE Council has revealed details of how people will receive their tax rebate as a result of the Government’s energy rebate.

The council says: ‘To help with the cost of living and rising fuel costs, the Government announced in February that most households in council tax bands A to D were to receive a £150 council tax rebate early in this financial year.

‘Since receiving Government details on how the scheme was to operate, we have been working hard to put in place secure systems for making this payment.

‘As a result, we expect to be able to start making automated payments at the end of this month or early May for those on Direct Debit and the middle of May onwards for those who will need to apply.

‘To enable our staff to get the systems in place to do this as soon as possible, we ask that you please do not contact us to enquire about the scheme at this time.

‘The best way to find out when payments will start to be made is to sign up to our Residents Newsletter at https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKTDC/subscriber/new?topic_id=UKTDC_43&pop=t or follow Teignbridge on social media. We will also update our website.

‘In response to questions residents have been raising we hope the following information is helpful.’

Although called a rebate, this amount will be paid direct into a bank account and not discounted from the council tax bill. The payment is not a loan and does not need to be repaid. It is intended to support all residents of the household.

If you meet the eligibility criteria and pay your Council Tax by direct debit It is likely you will receive an automated payment direct into the bank account details we hold for you. The majority of direct debit instalments collected on April, 1 and 15 and May 1 will receive an automated £150 ‘Energy Rebate’ payment direct to their bank account at the end of April/early May.

The counci says: ‘We cannot guarantee that anyone setting up direct debits to collect on or after May 15 will receive an automated payment and may instead be asked to apply using the application form that will be published on our website from the middle of May onwards.

‘There may also be some cases where an automated payment isn’t possible despite being set up for Direct Debit.

‘In both cases we will contact you, you do not need to contact us.

‘If you meet the eligibility criteria but do not pay your Council Tax by direct debit you will be able to make an online application. Support will be available for those who cannot access our online services. We will contact you if our records indicate you may be eligible to let you know when the application form is available.

What if I receive a payment but I don’t think I am eligible?

‘The Government has made it clear that councils will need to claw back money that has been paid in error. Please let us know as soon as possible if you receive a payment that you do not think you are entitled to.’