Kirklees Council is urging council tax payers to sign up to pay their council tax by direct debit. The call comes as the authority arranges to pay households a £150 council tax rebate to help manage the cost of living.

People who pay council tax by direct debit, which is a safe, simple and quick way to pay will see the cash go directly into their bank accounts from April.

If you are one of the 62,000 households currently not paying via direct debit, don’t worry the council is working on a way to make sure everyone gets their rebate.

Details about how to claim will be available by the end of March, but everyone is being urged to sign up to direct debit to make this process – as well as future transactions – easier.

The rebate is available to households in council tax bands A to D. It is part of a package of government measures to help families with rising energy costs.

Kirklees Council has also invested £3 million as part of its 2022-23 Budget to support local families with the cost of living crisis and more details will be shared on this in the coming months.

Clr Paul Davies

Clr Paul Davies, Cabinet member for corporate, said: “We are arranging for eligible households who do not currently use direct debit to pay their council tax bills to receive the tax rebate. This number is approximately 62,000. We are still working out the details of how we best manage this and what people affected need to do.

“However, my advice to everyone – not just to receive your payment easier but to make future transactions more efficient too – is to sign up to direct debit today.

“If you pay direct debit already, you don’t need to do anything but if you don’t please act now to make sure you receive this support. These are incredibly difficult times for a lot of families and we want to make sure no one is missing out.

“There’s increases to National Insurance from April, energy bills are soaring by nearly £700 more a year on average and councils are needing to increase council tax across most of the country to meet the costs of the adult social care crisis and other demands.

“Kirklees Council has invested almost £3 million more in our Budget this year to support local residents who are least able to withstand this cost-of-living crisis. We’ll have more details to share on this soon, but right now please make sure you receive this tax rebate.”

Visit Kirklees Council’s website for more information on paying Council Tax by direct debit and sign up today.
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