Low-income pensioners to receive an additional rebate from Wiltshire Council

Monday, 28 November 2022 00:00

Over 9,000 pensioner households in Wiltshire on low incomes will shortly receive an additional Discretionary Energy Rebate payment of £70 directly into their bank accounts.

The payment is the remaining money from the Discretionary Energy Rebate Fund and will be made before the end of November and will appear on bank statements as a credit of £70 from Wiltshire Council. There is nothing for people to do; the money will automatically be paid into the householder’s bank account.

Wiltshire Council has made almost 153,000 standard energy rebate payments to households across the county and a further 1,400 discretionary energy rebate payments to low-income households.

Take up for the discretionary rebate scheme has not been as high as expected, and the council has decided to pay the remaining £667,000 to over 9,000 low-income pensioners who were in receipt of council tax reduction on 10 November 2022.

Cllr Richard Clewer, Leader of Wiltshire Council, said, “These households are more reliant on warm homes and spend proportionately more of their available income on utility bills than working-age households.

“We will not be writing to households to inform them of this payment, it will simply appear on their bank statements as a payment from Wiltshire Council by the end of November. This approach reduces the administrative burden of assessing claims, it also reduces the need to invite applications. It also ensures the most cost-effective methods of payment are used to distribute the remaining funds to those who most need it.

“For those we do not hold bank account details for the payment will be credited to their Council Tax account.”

The energy rebate schemes administered by local authorities will end on 30 November 2022.

Wiltshire Council also has a range of advice and support available on its website. The dedicated cost-of-living webpages can be found at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/cost-of-living.