Government's £150 payment towards energy bills

Discretionary scheme 

The Government has given councils a cash limited fund to provide support to vulnerable households who may not qualify for the £150 council tax payment.
Members have approved a discretionary scheme for residents who do not qualify for help in the main scheme.   

This includes people on low incomes in council tax bands E-H. 

Also those who are just liable for Rent but not the council tax (in any band) on low incomes and are liable to pay the energy bills.  
You will need to apply for this help, and the details and link to the application form is below.

Details of scheme 

• Only one grant, main or discretionary will be paid to a household and will not exceed £150.00, although this could be less if oversubscribed.

Please Note:  No awards will be made before the scheme closing date as funding for this scheme is limited.

• The household must occupy the property as their main residence and be liable for rent or council tax on 01/04/2022.
• (Backdated liability rules apply as for the main scheme*)
• The scheme is open for a month for applications. 

There are 2 grounds for an application to be made
1)    You are a Resident liable for a council tax property in Bands E to H (a chargeable dwelling) and in receipt of Council Tax reduction scheme (CTS) Housing Benefit or Universal Credit on 01/04/2022 are eligible to apply.

• To apply for the rebate, you will need to complete the online form and you will need to provide proof of the following:-
  • your bank details showing the sort code and account number and your name and address.
  • you are in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit showing your name as at 01/04/2022.  If you are only on Council Tax reduction scheme (CTS), we can check our internal records for proof of this benefit.
  • Online applications for this scheme remain open with an extended closing date of 2 November 2022. 

Please note: You will need to create a new log in for the the GrantApproval form (do not use your East Herts Login) 

OR

2)  You are a Household who have a liability for Rent on 01/04/2022, but not Council Tax, and are also liable for Energy Bills, and in receipt of Universal Credit or Housing Benefit are eligible to apply.

• To apply for the rebate, you will need to complete the online form and you will also need to provide proof of the following:-
  • your bank details showing the sort code and account number and your name and address.
  • your identity a copy of your birth certificate ,or driving licence, or passport.
  • your Rent liability showing your name as at 01/04/2022. 
  • your Energy Bills i.e. Electric, Gas, Oil or Other 
  • you are in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit showing your name as at 01/04/2022.  If you are only on Council Tax reduction scheme (CTS), we can check our internal records for proof of this benefit.
  • Online applications for this scheme not currently available. 

Please note: You will need to create a new log in for the the GrantApproval form (do not use your East Herts Login) 

• You can apply for the rebate and we have launched the application process below. 

**Please beware of scams. We will never call to ask for your bank details.** 

• To apply for the rebate, complete the short online form 
• This will take you to our partner Ascendant GrantApproval website to apply. 
• Please ensure that you complete the application correctly, as we will not be able to allow any changes once the application has been submitted.
• You will need your council tax account number and also the council tax property reference number to complete the form - you just need to input the numbers only, no need to add the 'EH'at the front.
• We are extremely busy dealing with calls and correspondence, so if you are having difficulties completing this form, it may be quicker and easier to ask a trusted family member or friend to help you. 

Please note: You will need to create a new log in for GrantApproval (do not use your East Herts Login) 

Verifying your details

• To validate your bank account details, the Council needs to share relevant information with TransUnion. This is used to ensure your support payment is paid to the correct bank account.  Please visit the TransUnion website for more information.
• The Council may use some automated decision-making to determine if you are eligible to access funds. This means that a decision may be made by automated means. 
• Your data protection rights allow you to object to any automated-decision making used in this process. If you do, there may be a delay in the processing of your application. 
• If you wish to request any changes to the way your data is used for the purposes of processing this application, including the withdrawal of consent, you can exercise your rights by contacting the relevant Council’s data protection officer via email: data.protection@eastherts.gov.uk
• If you do withdraw your consent, we will not be able to continue payments to you. Your consent is necessary to establish your eligibility and to authorise any payments made.
• For more information on how your personal data is processed for these purposes, please see the Council Tax Energy Rebate Privacy Notice. 

Please be patient, we will get this rebate to you soon.