Council tax
Warning: Beware scam calls about the Government's £150 council tax rebate
Households should beware cold callers asking for their bank account details in order to seemingly pay them the Government’s £150 council tax rebate as it’s likely to be a scam. MoneySavingExpert.com has seen a number of reports from councils urging residents to beware fraudsters, while officials have also cautioned households to watch out.
16 April 2022
Growing numbers told they won't get £150 council tax rebate this month with further delays expected - but set up your direct debit now
People should brace for the prospect that the £150 council tax rebate might not come in April, with reports of local councils informing residents that a software issue has caused delays. Make sure you’ve set up a direct debit now to help prevent further delays.
6 April 2022
Households in council tax bands A-D to get £150 as part of a nationwide energy crisis support package
Millions of households in England will get £150 off their council tax bills, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced
5 April 2022
Council tax bills to rise from 1 April - here's what's happening and what to do about it
Council tax bills are set to rise for millions of households from 1 April, with the majority seeing total increases of around 3%. We've tips on how to reduce your bill below and a list of how much local councils will charge across England, Scotland and Wales.
29 March 2022
Urgent support needed as 2.8m people with mental health problems fall into council tax debt, says charity
Action is needed from the Government and local councils to help support millions of people in council tax arrears.
11 November 2021
Over 130 councils set to raise tax by 4% this year – see if you can cut yours
Almost 90% of local authorities in England which provide care services are looking to raise council tax this year by the maximum permitted amount of 4%, according to new analysis
26 February 2020
Council tax bills may rise by up to 4% from April
Some local authorities in England will be able to raise council tax by up to 4% in April 2020
23 December 2019
April price rises have kicked in - act now to beat the hikes
A new wave of price hikes hit today, from council tax and prescriptions to energy and broadband - and while you can't stop the rises, there are still plenty of ways to cut these bills
1 April 2019
Wales to help 'severely mentally impaired' get council tax discount after MSE campaign
The Welsh government is launching new guidance material to help more severely mentally impaired (SMI) people get access to the council tax discount, following a successful campaign by MoneySavingExpert.com.
25 September 2018
Average council tax bill in England set to rise by 5.1%
The average band D council tax in England will rise by £80 this year, the Government has announced
28 March 2018
Suggest a Story
Got a money-related news story that affects you?
11 May 2022
-
Martin's debt cost-cutting tips
Save £1,000s before rates rise further
-
Are you missing out on benefits?
7 million are
-
10 ways to cut grocery bills
By £100s
-
Top savings rates on the up
1.5% easy access, 2.5%+ fixes
-
Energy direct debit doubled?
Help if it's happened to you
-
It's back. Get £170 FREE cash
For switching bank
-
40 birthday freebies
Including free doughnut
-
Read the full email
For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today – it's spam-free!
-
Customers of collapsed rent-to-own firm BrightHouse unlikely to receive any form of refund - here are all the details
16 May 2022![]()
Customers of collapsed rent to own company BrightHouse are unlikely to get any money back after the firm's joint administrators said the cost of refunding people would "far exceed" the money available. -
Energy price cap set to change every three months under new plans unveiled by Ofgem
16 May 2022![]()
The energy price cap, which governs what most pay for their energy, is set to change every three months from October under plans announced by Ofgem today. The regulator also revealed it will also make the 'market stabilisation charge' harsher. This is a charge levied on firms acquiring new customers, which will make it harder for suppliers to undercut the price cap with cheaper fixed deals. -
Warning: Aldi, M&S, Sainsbury's, Tesco, and more recall chicken products over salmonella fears - here are your refund rights
16 May 2022![]()
Aldi, M&S, Sainsbury's, Tesco, and Waitrose are recalling a number of chicken products over fears of a salmonella outbreak. We explain your refund rights below. -
NHS prescription costs frozen in England for the first time in 12 years – here are all the details and how to save on your medicine bills
16 May 2022![]()
NHS prescription costs will remain frozen at £9.35 an item for the next 12 months. This is welcome news for many but remember to check if you qualify for free prescriptions or if you can save money with a prescription 'season ticket'. See below for more details. -
Thousands of public sector workers to see redundancy payments cut after Government shake-up – your rights explained
13 May 2022![]()
Thousands of public sector workers in England could soon see the amount they get as redundancy pay cut under new Government guidance.
-
Martin Lewis: 'UO is just as important as UX: A tip for anyone developing their website or app'
6 May 2022![]()
I set up MoneySavingExpert.com nearly 20 years ago – when arguably the modern web was still in its infancy. With an abundance of self-belief (something I had too much of then, as I realise now) I decided not to read any books, or follow prevailing wisdom on how a site should operate – and just do it my way. -
Martin Lewis: Got a cash ISA? You should probably ditch it
3 May 2022![]()
Press the rewind button and go way back to April 2015... Possibly on the telly in the corner of your living room, I was on-air at the time urging savers as usual to use their new tax-free cash ISA allowance – because 'money was nicer in an ISA'. But things changed in 2016. -
Martin Lewis: Money and Mental Health charity 2021/22 – Covid & cost of living hell...
26 April 2022![]()
It's hard to believe the Money and Mental Health Policy Institute (MMHPI) charity is now six years old. As the chair of trustees, each year I write the foreword to its annual report – and today the 2021/22 report is out, so I thought I'd blog my formal chair's foreword here. -
Martin Lewis: What happened to my pledge to give £10m to charity – 2022 update (spoiler: it's now £20m)
11 April 2022![]()
Nearly a decade ago, in June 2012, MSE joined the MSM Group and I pledged £10m to go to charity. As that was a public pledge and I feel I've a duty of transparency, every year or two I bash out a blog report to explain where I'm up to, and who's got what money.
Clever ways to calculate your finances
