THE majority of households in Bradford are set to receive a £150 Council Tax rebate next month to “take the sting out” of huge rises in energy bills, but thousands will miss out on the cash boost.
Earlier this year, Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced that to make the £700 rise in the energy price cap a less harsh hit on people’s finances, some support would be provided to ease the burden.
This included £200 per household loans to energy firms to make the initial bills lower, and also a Council Tax rebate for the majority of households.
Energy bills have shot up in recent months, with Covid-19, supply chain issues and geopolitical problems all contributing to rising oil prices.
It means the energy price cap is to rise by almost £700, making people’s energy bills a lot more expensive in April, all while oil giants such as Shell recorded eye-watering profits over the past year.
Energy bills have already been rising in recent months, and the impact is also seen at petrol stations where a litre of fuel will now set you back about £1.50.
Mr Sunak said the rebate on Council Tax for households in Bands A to D will take the sting out of price rises for the majority of people – with the remaining households having to rely on funding being dished out by local authorities to share the savings.
In the Bradford district, more than 23,000 households will miss out on the Council Tax rebate – made up of 12,994 homes in Band E, 6,065 homes in Band F, 3,720 in Band G, and 315 homes in Band H.
More than 197,000 households will benefit from the rebate though, 89.5 per cent of homes in the district, but it still means one in 10 families will miss out on automatic financial aid.
Mr Sunak said the Government is “standing behind the British people to help them deal with one of the biggest costs they now face”, however Labour criticised the move as a “gamble that prices will fall” and suggests a windfall tax on oil and gas producers reporting huge profits.
The move has also drawn criticism for being too broad and not targeting those at highest risk from the rising energy prices.
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