Council Tax Energy Rebate - Exceptional Discretionary Scheme
This page details an Exceptional Discretionary Scheme offered by Fenland District Council to:
- care leavers
- people who have been in temporary accommodation
- people living in Houses of Multiple Occupation
- and people living in other accommodation who pay the energy bills but have their Council Tax paid by their landlord.
Grants were also available for people who do not meet the other criteria but are experiencing exceptional financial hardship. All grants were subject to criteria. Applications closed on 31 October 2022.
For details of the Discretionary Scheme for households in Council Tax bands E-H in the Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme (LCTRS) and the Severe Mental Impairment exemption scheme, and bands F-H for the Disabled Band Reduction scheme, please see our Council Tax Energy Rebate page.
Background
The Government's Council Tax Energy Rebate, administered locally by Fenland District Council working with Anglia Revenues Partnership, is to help households with the rising cost of energy bills.
Under the main scheme, a grant of £150 was available to households in Council Tax bands A-D. The Council, and Anglia Revenues Partnership, has already administered this scheme.
The Council was also given 'discretionary' funding by Government to target support to the households the local authority identifies as most in need. As detailed on the Council Tax Energy Rebate page, Fenland District Council used the majority of this money to target support to households in Council Tax bands E-H in the Local Council Tax Reduction Scheme (LCTRS) and the Severe Mental Impairment exemption scheme, and bands F-H for the Disabled Band Reduction scheme
Fenland District Council used the remaining discretionary money to provide an Exceptional Discretionary Scheme.
This provided support to the following:
| Who is it for? | How much is it? | Summary of criteria | How are they being contacted |
| People who were in care or temporary accommodation and moved into new tenancy after 1 April 2022 | £170 | 1. Moved into new tenancy allocated by the local authority. 2. Responsible for energy bills at property. 3. Responsible for Council Tax, however those on low or no Council Tax due to exemption can still get the grant. | Anglia Revenues Partnership (ARP) to write directly to these households. Phone contact may also be made encouraging residents to complete form. |
| As above but in a House of Multiple Occupation | Up to £100 | As above but not responsible for Council Tax as paid by the Landlord. | As above |
| Residents in Houses of Multiple Occupancy or people in other accommodation where the landlord pays the Council Tax but the applicant pays for energy. Residents will need to show that they were in the property on 1 April 2022 | Up to £100 | 1. Open to Council Tax bands E-H 2. Properties in classes N, P, S U and W are not eligible. | West Suffolk Council will write to registered Houses of Multiple Occupancy encouraging occupiers to apply, while ARP will write to landlords to ask that they encourage their tenants. |
| Residents in band E-H homes who do not meet the above categories but are experiencing exceptional financial hardship Residents will need to show that they were in the property on 1 April 2022 | Up to £150 | Applicants must be able to demonstrate exceptional financial hardship. This funding may include residents who have a pre-payment meter for gas and/or electricity, and who have a current Individual Voluntary Arrangement in place. | We will highlight this through the media, social media, as well as writing to stakeholders including our housing team, councillors, town and parish councils, community groups, community support organisations and NHS partners. |
Our partners at Anglia Revenues Partnership wrote to households identified as care leavers and placed into a new tenancy from April 2022 or having previously been in temporary accommodation and then placed into a new tenancy by our housing team since April 2022. Fenland District Council wrote to the occupant of registered Houses of Multiple Occupancy. You did not have to wait for this letter however to apply.
Applications closed on 31 October 2022. This deadline was given as the Government says no more grants can be paid after the end of November 2022.
Please note all bank account details are subject to mandatory pre-payment checks using our secure application supplied by the cabinet office.
Once your application has been processed and passed the mandatory pre-payment checks a payment will be made within 15 working days. If your bank details do not pass the mandatory pre-payment checks we will contact your for further details.
Please be advised, Anglia Revenues Partnership may ring eligible residents to encourage an application.
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