Residents have been warned not to disclose their bank details over the phone if they are contacted in relation to the government’s £150 council tax energy rebate scheme.
The warning, from a range of organisations including the Local Government Association (LGA), individual councils and Age UK, highlights scam phone calls and emails where people are asked to give their bank details to receive the rebate.
According to Mohan Iyengar, vice-chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board: “Councils are working hard to ensure eligible residents receive their energy rebate payments as soon as possible. However, criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated in their attempts to take advantage of the financial worries people are facing and, as a result, many of these scams look legitimate on first impression.”
Similar warnings have been made by a number of local authorities including Durham County Council, the London Borough of Southwark and Wakefield Council. Age UK also reminded older residents that councils would never cold call or email to ask for bank details to make the payment.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced the council tax rebate in February this year in response to rapidly rising gas and electricity bills, with payments being administered by local authorities for all households in bands A through to D.
Where council tax is paid by direct debit, the rebate will be sent automatically, but those who do not pay by direct debit may have to provide bank details to their local authority. If residents receive a potentially fraudulent message, they are being advised to report it to their mobile phone provider and contact Action Fraud.
Around 20 million households in England will benefit from the rebate. It is part of a wider £9.1bn package that includes a £200 discount on energy bills (that has to be paid back over five years) and £144m of discretionary funding for local authorities to support households who are in need but are not eligible for the council tax rebate.
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