Support for people struggling financially due to the Coronavirus pandemic
South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils are putting a range of measures in place to help people who are being affected financially by the Coronavirus pandemic, including support for individuals and for businesses.
Support for individuals – council tax
Hardship fund for people on Council Tax Reduction
The government has confirmed details of a £500million hardship fund. Under this scheme, people in receipt of Council Tax Reduction will receive a minimum of £150 off their council tax bill for 2020/2021, unless their bill is less than £150, in which case their bill will be reduced to zero. This is in addition to any support they already receive.
The councils are now working to confirm the amount each individual qualifying household will receive off their bill – as soon as this is complete, revised bills will be issued.
Council tax payments
Where possible, people should continue to pay their bills as normal. If someone is genuinely having difficulty paying their council tax, they should contact our council tax team on:
Vale residents – [email protected] / 0345 302 2315
People who are currently not being paid, and are struggling to pay their bill, are encouraged to apply for Council Tax Reduction – their account will then be put on hold for 30 days while their application is processed.
To apply for Council Tax Reduction please visit whitehorsedc.gov.uk/ctrs
For more information about support and advice for individuals please visit whitehorsedc.gov.uk/covid19
Advice and support for businesses
The councils are prioritising awarding the extensions to retail rate relief to existing accounts and working to identify eligible ratepayers. Work has also taken place to identify and collate the necessary information to allow the councils to pay Small Business and Retail Grants.
Letters have gone out to ratepayers who we believe qualify. To claim a grant, businesses should complete the required form which can be found at:
Vale business – www.whitehorsedc.gov.uk/businessrates