The Government has announced support to help with rising costs of energy for certain households in the borough. This support will be provided by the council and consist of a direct payment of £150 to households whose property is in Council Tax bands A to D.
Residents who pay their Council Tax through Direct Debit should automatically receive their rebate payment directly into their bank account in late April.
For those households in Council Tax Banda A to D that do not currently pay their Council Tax by Direct Debit, the council will contact them directly by email or letter outlining how they can apply for the payment.
Help may also be available for households in Council Tax Band E to H properties .The Council will be developing a scheme and additional information regarding this Discretionary Scheme will be published on the council’s website over the coming weeks.
Councillor Vicky McGurk, Executive Member for Finance and Governance, said:
Many people in Blackburn with Darwen and across the country are facing financial struggles at the moment due to rising energy costs and food prices going up.
This rebate payment will be a welcome boost for homes across the borough but we do need wider-ranging measures to tackle the growing financial pressures across the board – this one off payment will not go far for many people and is not enough to help in the long term.
There is no need to contact the Council as this stage about this rebate; details will either be sent to residents or can be obtained from the Council’s website.
At the Council we are working incredibly hard to give support where we can to people in the borough who are struggling. If you feel you need some extra help then you can check if you are eligible for our Household Support Scheme which offers support for energy bills, food, boiler repairs and more, or the Help Hub which can give advice on a range of services and assistance’.
All information and updates will be published on www.blackburn.gov.uk/council-tax
If you are unsure of your council tax band, you can find this information on your council tax bill or at: https://www.gov.uk/council-tax-bands.
You can find out more about the Household Support Scheme here: https://blackburn.gov.uk/benefits/winter-household-support-scheme
Blackburn with Darwen Council: www.blackburn.gov.uk
