The £150 council tax rebate announced by Chancellor of the Exchequer this week in light of rising gas and electricity bills will not be applied to those with second homes or empty homes.
Isle of Wight Conservative MP, Bob Seely, asked the question in Parliament on Thursday.
He said,
“I welcome the Chancellor’s recognition, as my hon. Friend John Penrose said, of the importance of a long-term energy policy. I thank him very much for the help for council tax payers.
“Bands A to D cover most folks on the Island. Can he confirm that he is talking about people with primary residences on the Island and nationally?”
Sunak: Not for those with second homes or empty homes
Rishi Sunak replied,
“My hon. Friend makes an excellent point. I confirm that the £150 is not for those with second homes or empty homes.
“We will make that crystal clear in how the policy is executed.”
You can read the rest of the speeches on the subject via They Work For You.
Exceptional hardship Fund
The planned £150 rebate will be welcome news to those Islanders who find themselves already having to choose between heating their homes or feeding their families.
The Isle of Wight council run an Exception Hardship Fund for those most in need and unable to pay their council tax. You can find out more about this via the council’s Website.
