Martin Lewis issues warning to households expecting council tax rebate

Martin Lewis has issued a warning to households who are expecting to receive the £150 council tax rebate between now and September.

The rebate is available to all households in council tax bands A to D in England, Scotland and Wales to help families cover the rising cost of energy bills.

Councils must pay the money to those who are eligible by 30 September this year, but some have already started to make payouts.

The MoneySavingExpert has warned that scam artists have been using the government scheme as an opportunity to steal people’s bank details.

What has Martin Lewis said?

Mr Lewis is urging households to be wary of cold callers claiming to be from the council asking people to hand over their bank details to seemingly be paid the £150 rebate.

Several councils, including Durham, Wakefield and Southwark, have issued warnings to residents over council tax rebate scams, which see fraudsters ask for bank details over the phone.

In most cases, the rebate will be paid automatically to those who pay their council tax by direct debit, but those who do not pay by direct debit may have to provide their local authority with their bank details.

However, the Local Government Association (LGA) has stressed that councils will never ask for bank details over the phone.

Councils will reach out to households to confirm how the payment will be made, with Wakefield Council confirming it will set up an online form for households to complete.