Switch to direct debit and win a fortune
Tuesday March 9, 2010
Pay your council tax by direct debit and you may just win £25,000!
Hammersmith & Fulham Council is one of 20 London local authorities encouraging residents to pay their monthly council tax bill by direct debit.
And with one lucky London resident set to win £25,000 by switching to direct debit, there has never been a better time to make the change.
Processing direct debits generates long-term cost savings to the council. And with H&F recently announcing that is slashing council tax by three per cent for the fourth year in a row, increasing the amount of tax collected by direct debit will mean that the council can plough even more funds into improving front-line services.
Cllr Stephen Greenhalgh, Leader of the Council, said: “We are doing our bit to keep your council tax low, now you can help us by switching to direct debit. While cutting your council tax year on year, we are spending vast sums on the things that matter most to local residents. By increasing direct debit volumes, we can make huge savings that can be incorporated back into budgets, and used to enhance services even further.”
To be in with a chance to win, residents must register to pay their council tax bill by direct debit by 5pm on July 15, either by: returning a completed paper direct debit instruction to the council, or signing up to direct debit via www.lbhf.gov.uk or by calling over the telephone 0845 803 1020. Residents who already pay their council tax bill by direct debit will be automatically entered into the prize draw.
Taking the most recent council tax cut into account, the council’s share of a Band D council tax bill for 2010 / 2011 is £811.78 – which is £25 cheaper than last year and £105 less than 2006. This means that a typical H&F taxpayer is in the region of £500 better off than the average Londoner over four years.
Meanwhile, the Mayor of London has frozen his share of the bill at £309.82 making the overall total £1,121.60p for a Band D property.
Cllr Greenhalgh added: “While cutting council tax, we are putting more police on the streets, making our streets cleaner, improving refuse and recycling collections and parks. If you pay your council tax by direct debit and we will be able to improve those vital aspects of everyday life even further.”
The pan-London £25,000 winner will be drawn on July 20. Hammersmith & Fulham Council has made two additional prizes of £250 available for local residents, with winners drawn on July 23.
