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Sefton residents eligible for the Government’s Energy Rebate Scheme are being recommended to look out for the one-off, £150 payment arriving in their bank accounts.

Payments

Payments to over 75,000 Sefton households in Council Tax bands A to D are underway. Sefton Council is making two main batches of payments, to 45,000 households and 30,000 households, based on the date when people’s Direct Debit payments are made from their bank accounts.

The Government announced the Energy Rebate Scheme in February. It is a national, one-off, £150 payment to households living in properties that are in Council Tax bands A to D.

After the Scheme’s announcement Sefton Council urged households across the Borough to sign up and pay their Council Tax by Direct Debit as this would be likely to mean they would receive the Energy Rebate sooner.

Automatic payment

Council Tax for over 75,000 of the Borough’s 111,000 Band A to D properties are now paid by Direct Debit. The households will receive the payment automatically.

In early May, the Council will be writing to those eligible households who don’t pay by Direct Debit asking them to provide bank account details so that the £150 can be paid to them directly.

Letters will include a unique code which the household can use to register for payment securely online. The code can only be used once, and the household will need their Council Tax account reference to hand.

The Council will also be writing to households where the Direct Debit is being paid from a bank account not in the name of the person(s) liable for the Council Tax bill.

People receiving these letters are being asked to respond by the end of June.

Credited

In cases where people’s bank details are not provided, the £150 will be credited to the property’s Council Tax account.

Households that don’t pay Council Tax because they are on a low income or subject to exemption will also receive letters inviting them to register for the rebate via an online form. Households will not be able to apply without this letter.

There are also some cases where people have moved in the last few weeks and the Council is following up on these changes of address to ensure payments are made to the right people.

Those receiving a letter from the Council about the scheme are encouraged to respond as quickly as possible with the information requested to ensure payment can be made. Anyone receiving a payment not due to them should contact the Council as not declaring it could be classed as fraud.

Beware

Sefton Council is reminding residents that it will never ask for bank details over the phone or by cold calling at the door and to beware of anyone that does.

Sefton’s Council Taxpayers can still sign up to pay their Council Tax by Direct here. 

They will need their Council Tax account reference to hand.

Council Taxpayers in Sefton can also opt to receive their bill electronically, which is easier plus it saves paper, here.

Once again, they will need their council tax account reference to hand.

Information about the Council Tax Energy Rebate Scheme can be found here  

To help sponsors in Sefton offering their homes and their Ukrainian guests when they arrive, Sefton Council has set up web pages containing the information they may need, including a set of Questions and Answers.

These can all be found by visiting www.sefton.gov.uk/homes-for-ukraine and following the links.

Households

Sefton Council’s and its partners are in touch with households across the Borough offering their homes to people from Ukraine fleeing the war, under the Government’s Homes for Ukraine scheme.

To ensure the scheme is safe for sponsors and their guests when they arrive, the Council is carrying out the required checks. It is also putting safeguarding procedures in place and organising for payments to householders and their Ukrainian guests once they arrive.

Essential services

The Government has said that under the Homes for Ukraine scheme, Ukrainians will be guaranteed free access to NHS healthcare, including mental health care. The Council has been working with healthcare colleagues to ensure that those arriving under the scheme will have access to essential services and any specific support they need.

School places will be available and Ukrainian children arriving under the Scheme will also be able to work and receive benefits.

To help support Ukrainian individuals and families arriving Sefton through the ‘Homes for Ukraine’ initiative, Sefton CVS and Sefton 4 Good, in partnership with Sefton Council and local VCF sector organisations, has launched a Sefton Ukraine Welcome Appeal.

Community response

The Appeal will help to provide a community response, such as settlement grants for individuals and families; providing social, cultural and community networks and activities, language support, travel cards, clothing, IT and equipment and other needs as they are identified.

You can donate here, via the Sefton Ukraine Welcome Appeal fundraising page here.

Jobseekers in Sefton are being offer the chance to develop new skills that would enable them to deliver arts-based projects in local communities.

Drama and music

The Great Escape is a series of drama and music workshops taking place at Southport’s Market Quarter. Funded through the European Social Fund and supported by Sefton Market, The Great Escape is being led by local drama school and an agency Acting Angels and Job Centre’s Sefton Partnership Manager.

Successful applicants will be paid £10 for each of the eight, weekly tutorial sessions the go to. They will also receive £5 expenses for both the interview, enrolment exit appointments.

Confidence & self esteem

Participants must be aged over 19 and be residents in Merseyside. The weekly sessions are based around building individuals’ confidence, improving their self-esteem and broadening their social circle.

Those taking part will also learn a new set of arts and community-based skills that will increase their employability.

To apply or find out more people should contact Acting Angels on 07970 365 422 or email dramaschool@actingangels.co.uk.