People are being urged to claim £150 from their local council after an important deadline was extended. The UK government has extended its deadline for people to claim a £150 rebate from their local authority after it was revealed that thousands of people could be missing out on the scheme.
In February, then-chancellor Rishi Sunak announced a £150 council tax rebate for people in England living in properties in bands A to D for council tax. The Welsh Government later confirmed it would offer a £150 cost of living payment to all households who live in properties in council tax bands A to D as well as recipients of the council tax reduction scheme in all bands. However it was left up to each individual council to decide how and when it will administer the payments.
Earlier this summer councils in Wales opened up their schemes to eligible households with people who pay council tax by direct debit generally having their payment given automatically while those who don't were being sent a letter inviting them to apply for the payment.
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The deadline for the scheme was originally September 30 but it has now been extended until November 30 according to MoneySavingExpert. The government has decided to extend the scheme after it discovered around 300,000 people could be missing out on the payments.
The vast majority of households, around 19.1 million, have already received their payment as it was given automatically to people who pay their bill by direct debit. If you don't pay your council tax by direct debit, you'll need to contact your local council to claim the payment.
How you get your money depends on who your local authority is. Many are asking people to complete a form online to get the amount paid into their bank account. The form allows you to fill in your details, including your bank account, safely and the £150 will then be paid into your bank account.
Sometimes you will be asked to give a unique code that will probably have been sent to you by your council in a letter. Many have sent households a letter in the post containing a barcode that you can take to any post office branch to receive the £150. Others have said they would apply the £150 credit to the council tax accounts of any eligible households.
To find out who your local authority is if you haven't claimed click here. To get all the latest money-saving news straight to your inbox twice a week sign up here.
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