Grant allocations for council tax rebate total £28m

Local authorities have been allocated just over £28m to help cover the costs of administrating the council tax rebate scheme.

A letter to all Local Authorities in England from the Department of Levelling up, Housing & Communities outlined its initial new burdens down-payment to cover the estimated staffing and software costs to deliver the scheme.

The letter said:

"The Department remains committed to meeting all reasonable new burdens costs for scheme delivery and will make a further payment to authorities where its assessment of total reasonable costs exceeds the down-payment.

"If the down-payment made to an authority exceeds the Department’s assessment of total reasonable costs, the Department will require the repayment of the difference.

"The Department will begin collecting data to monitor delivery of the council tax rebate from May 2022."

Under the scheme, councils will issue a £150 rebate to households in England, in council tax bands A to D. Individual council grant allocations are listed in the letter.