Decision details

Details of decision: 

The Chief Executive has agreed to a local discretionary energy rebate scheme.

£292,200 funding for this discretionary scheme has been provided by Government to provide financial support to households that are struggling with the rising cost of their household energy bills.

This decision has been taken in accordance with the urgent decisions provision contained in paragraph 5 of the Budget and Policy Framework of the Council’s Constitution because it is not practical to convene a quorate Full Council meeting within the required timeframe. 

The Chair of the Corporate Scrutiny Committee, Cllr Wren, has been consulted and agrees that this decision is required as a matter of urgency and that it is appropriate for it to be made under the urgency provisions.  A report will be made to the next available Full Council meeting to explain the reasons for the urgent decision.

Background

On 3 February 2022, the Government announced measures to help protect millions of households from rising energy costs.

As part of these measures in early April, SWT were provided with £292,200 with which to develop a discretionary energy rebate scheme.

This discretionary pot is in addition to the £8m which the Government has made available to SWT to operate the mandatory Energy Rebate Scheme. That scheme is focused on Households within Council Tax bands A to D who, with few exceptions, have, or will receive a flat rate £150 one-off payment.

We have a fairly free hand in designing our discretionary scheme and have developed it collaboratively with the other Somerset districts.

Government guidance

The guidance can be viewed at:

Support for energy bills - the council tax rebate 2022-23: billing authority guidance - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Scheme agreed by this decision

Our proposed scheme has 3 parts:

1. A single one-off payment of £150 will be awarded to any household who resides in a dwelling with a Council Tax band E to H and who are in receipt of Council Tax Support (CTS).

2. A single “top up” payment of £24 to all households within Council Tax Band A to H who receive a £150 Council Tax Energy Rebate from either the main or discretionary scheme and who are in receipt of CTS

3. A General Energy Support Fund of £5k, plus the balance after making payment of 1. and 2. above.

This part will be available only to those households not qualifying for an energy rebate payment under 1. or 2 above or the main scheme t and Is directly responsible for household energy bills; and are experiencing financial hardship and struggling to meet their energy costs

The payment under this part will be £150 and will be made upon referral by a partner agency (such as the CAB for example) rather than by direct application to the Council.