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Claiming the £150 energy rebate: “Why do they make it so difficult?”
10/06/2022
Frustrated people tell us the system for claiming the rebate is confusing and complicated
“It’s a complete mine field. You just go round in circles. Why do they make it so difficult?”
That’s the comment from one person who contacted Banbury FM after they were unable to work out how to claim their £150 Council Tax energy rebate from Cherwell District Council.
Yesterday we told you thousands of people were yet to claim their money, all of whom pay their Council Tax by methods other than direct debit. Letters have been sent to people giving a website address and a passcode to use, but several people told us they found the system confusing.
Another wrote on social media that he had waited on hold for an hour when calling the Council Tax team for help. He eventually gave up.
The letter sent to those who need to claim their money says: “To apply for the rebate please visit https://www.cherwell.gov.uk/council-tax-rebate. You will need your bank account details and the unique passcode below when you apply so please have them ready.” The next sentence details the person’s unique passcode.
Another frustrated Council Tax payer told us: “You can’t put your passcode in anywhere. I’m not the only one. I was talking a person on Facebook who is having the same problem.”
It appears the route to claiming the money is somewhat more complicated than the Council’s letter implies. It is not simply a case of entering your passcode on the webpage indicated. After following a couple of links on the page the claimant then has to create an account on an external website and complete their details here.
Cherwell District Council has highlighted a help page which gives step by step guidance for those wanting to claim their rebate, which can be found here.
Banbury FM passed details of the Council’s guidance notes to a couple of people who had been experiencing problems. One told us they hoped that they had now managed to submit a claim. However the other said: “I gave up trying after three goes. I found it too hard for me.”
A spokesperson for the Council said: “To date 5,977 residents who do not pay their council tax by direct debit have successfully completed the application process and received their £150 energy rebates. We have now received almost 50 per cent of these applications. More are coming in every day and we are working hard to process them.
“Because of the need to distribute the rebates accurately and securely, people are required to create an account on grantapproval.co.uk and an illustrated step-by-step guide is available on our website to make this as easy as possible.
“We strongly encourage anyone who has received their letter and not yet applied to do so.”
Published: by Banbury FM Newsteam
LYNNE COOK On 10/06/2022 at 3:20 pm
Seems very strange to do it this way! I’m under Stratford on Avon District Council and they automatically reimbursed all band A-D residents £150 into my bank account where the DD for monthly council tax is paid. No form, no email, just appeared as a credit in my bank. Thank you!
Jon Cox On 10/06/2022 at 4:12 pm
lucky to get a letter….they CDC, told me my letter was sent out in May….still not arrived yet….funny how the Council Tax letters arrive promptly!