Martin Lewis says anyone not eligible for automatic council tax rebate can still get money back

Martin Lewis has detailed how those ineligible for the government’s council tax rebate scheme could still claim some money back.

On April 1st, the UK’s energy price cap rose by an unprecedented 54%, adding an extra £693 to the average household’s annual electricity bill.

In response to this, Rishi Sunak announced that fifteen million households in council tax bands A, B, C and D would be able to apply for rebates totalling £350, all of which will be funded by government grants.

£200 of these rebates will then have to be repaid in £40 instalments over a period of five years, starting from next April.

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However, households outside of these council tax brackets won’t be eligible for the £150 rebate, which doesn’t have to be paid back.

So last week, during a special edition of Good Morning Britain ahead of the energy bill price increase, Martin Lewis shared his expertise on how these households can still claim some money back.

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The Money Saving Expert founder explained that £144 million of funding – known as the Discretionary Fund – has been put in place to support households who are in need but are not eligible for the Council Tax Rebate.

He explained: “If you are really struggling on your energy bills, you can apply to your local council, it’s council by council terms, and they can, by discretion, give you up to £150 if you’re not eligible for [the Council Tax Rebate]. You’ll need to do that in April, get in touch with them.

“If you’re in band E or above, get in touch if you’re really struggling and ask if you can have that £150.”

He also advised prepayment customers on how to avoid back charges from their energy companies during the special programme.

Earlier this week, Lewis revealed he felt ‘sad’ as his team put together a guide offering advice on how to ‘heat the human not the home’. 

The article includes tips on how to stay warm without turning on the heating, ranging from thermal products to the types of foods to be eating. You can read the full guide here.