Council Tax Rebate 2022: When will Portsmouth households receive the £150 energy support payment, what is it and how to check your council tax band

Households will receive a council tax rebate this spring after the government announced a series of measures to ease the pressure of skyrocketing bills.

Rishi Sunak announced the rebate in February ahead of the energy price cap increase in April.

But when will households in Portsmouth receive the payment and who is eligible?

Here's everything you need to know:

What is the council tax rebate?

The rebate is a one-off £150 payment which is a part of a £9.1 billion Treasury support package.

The government also announced a £200 Energy Bill Support Scheme which will be paid later this year.

Unlike the energy bill scheme, the council tax rebate will not need to be repaid.

The rebate will be provided as a separate payment, rather than as part of your council tax bill.

It will be paid to households whose home was in council tax bands A to D in England on April 1.

The bands include around 20 million homes, including 95 per cent of rented properties.

How to check your council tax band

Households in Portsmouth can find out their council tax band by entering their postcode on this website.

This service can also be used to challenge your council tax band if you think it is wrong.

The band is based on the price the property would have been sold for on the open market on April 1, 1991 in England.

Bands A to D in England covers properties with a rateable value of up to £88,000.

When will the council tax rebate be paid in Portsmouth?

The support scheme is now underway across the UK as some households have received the £150 rebate.

The government website states: ‘All council tax rebate grants should be paid as soon as possible from April.’

SEE ALSO: Portsmouth City Council says it won't need to make any cuts this year as it reveals how much it will raise tax by

Households were urged to ensure that they had swapped over to direct debit before April so they could receive the rebate as quickly as possible.

According to the Portsmouth City Council website, the rebate will be made to households in ‘batches’.The website states: ‘Please note that due to the amount of eligible direct debit accounts for the government’s £150.00 council tax rebate, payments will be made in batches.

‘This may mean family or other Portsmouth City Council residents known to you may receive payments prior to you receiving yours however there is no need to contact us, and subject to meeting the eligibility, your payment will be with you as soon as possible.’

If you have not set up a direct debit payment, Portsmouth City Council will invite you to provide your information to verify whether you are eligible.

This will take place between May and June this year.

The government expects all payments to be issued by the end of September 2022.