Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the cost to the public purse is of the element of the energy bill discount scheme, announced on 3 February 2022, relating to the council tax rebate proposal; and what allowance he has made in that costing for the provision of support to pensioners who are on 100 per cent council tax support and who may need assistance to claim the £150 rebate from their local authority.

The government has announced a £150 non-repayable council tax rebate for households in England in council tax bands A-D and £144 million of discretionary funding for billing authorities to support households who are are not eligible. The cost of both measures is estimated to be around £3 billion, including support for pensioners in receipt of Local Council Tax Support, and will be finalised following a reconciliation process to confirm how many rebates have been provided.

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities has published guidance to help billing authorities administer the rebate effectively.