Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he plans to reopen the Building Safety Fund for applications in 2022.
Answered by Stuart Andrew - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The Government is providing £5.1 billion, including £4.5 billion through the Building Safety Fund, to address the fire safety risks caused by unsafe cladding on high-rise residential buildings. This will be used where the original developer and/or the building owner are not funding the works. We will be opening the next phase of the Building Safety Fund at the earliest opportunity.
Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with reference to the council tax rebate scheme, what steps he is taking to help support local authorities with residents who pay council tax in cash.
Answered by Kemi Badenoch - President of the Board of Trade
My Department will shortly issue FAQs to help local authorities administer the council tax rebate. This will include information on flexible payment options for households, balancing administrative ease and accessibility with the need to manage fraud risk.
Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, to whom the council tax rebate will be paid in cases where tenants pay rent with all bills included, including council tax; and in cases where the landlord receives the rebate, whether there will be a requirement for the landlord to pass it on to the tenant.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
My Department will provide guidance to billing authorities on administering the council tax rebate scheme, including on the eligibility criteria. The associated discretionary fund will allow councils to support people that may need help with their energy bills but who are not eligible for the main scheme.
Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether local authorities will receive central Government funding for the additional administrative costs incurred in the rollout of the £144 million discretionary fund for vulnerable people and individuals on low incomes that do not pay council tax or that pay council tax for properties in Bands E-H.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Government will provide new burdens funding to local authorities to cover reasonable administrative costs incurred in delivering the council tax rebate scheme and the associated discretionary fund.
Asked by: Meg Hillier (Labour (Co-op) - Hackney South and Shoreditch)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether additional administrative costs incurred by local authorities in the implementation of the £150 council tax rebate will be a new burdens requirement.
Answered by Neil O'Brien
The Government will provide new burdens funding to local authorities to cover reasonable administrative costs incurred in delivering the council tax rebate scheme and the associated discretionary fund.