On 30th March, Government will be transferring funds to Local Authorities in England so that they can begin to pay the £150 council tax rebate to help households in council tax bands A to D cope with the current rise in energy costs (the devolved administrations of N. Ireland, Scotland and Wales are funded differently for this purpose).

To help Local Authority council tax teams carry out this task DLUHC have sent a letter to authorities answering 24 frequently asked questions about the rebate payment process. A number of these answers will, however, be of use to private tenants and their landlords as well as housing officers and advisers as they cover how payments are made to households and who payments can and shouldn't be made to.

For example, concerns have been raised by MPs and others about unscrupulous landlords pocketing these rebates when they should actually be going to the tenants and the letter sets out, in FAQ 13, the circumstances in which private landlords should not automatically be paid the rebate and when they should.