St Mary’s Church in Santon Downham has a book of condolence and is open daily.

West Suffolk Council has a list of other books available locally at libraries and other locations throughout the region.

https://www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/hmthequeen.cfm

Floral tributes may be left at some locations.

Thousands of residents encouraged to claim Council Tax Rebate Grant

Thousands of West Suffolk residents who do not pay their Council Tax by direct debit, are being encouraged to claim their £150 Council Tax Rebate Grant online.

The money, which doesn’t have to be paid back, is for Council Tax band A-D households including those who already pay low or no Council Tax, as a result of receiving Council Tax support. The Government announced the Rebate Grant scheme to help toward the increase in energy bills.

Please only attempt to claim this via the official West Suffolk/AngliaRevenues websites. These are both .gov websites.

West Suffolk Council, working with Anglia Revenues Partnership has already administered over £6.3million of the rebate grant to more than 42,000 eligible households who were already signed up to and paying their Council Tax by direct debit since before the end of April this year. Where the direct debit payee information is different to the name(s) that the Council holds on our files for that address, payments may take slightly longer to check and process. And households who only signed up to direct debit recently and are awaiting their first successful Council Tax direct debit payment to come out in May, can check the Council’s webpage at www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/counciltax/council-tax-rebate-grant.cfm to see when they will receive the grant.

That still leaves over 16,000 households in West Suffolk which do not pay by direct debit and for which the Council doesn’t hold any bank details.

Letters will be going out from Anglia Revenues Partnership to these households inviting them to complete a simple online form so that the Council can get the rebate grant to them as swiftly as possible. But there is no need for residents to wait for their letter. Instead, they can complete the form online at www.angliarevenues.gov.uk/WSrebate

Eligible residents have until 31 May 2022 to complete the form. After this date, any eligible households will have the rebate grant applied to their Council Tax bill to reduce their payments for the rest of the year and a new bill for a lesser amount will be sent out in mid-June. The Council and Anglia Revenues Partnership will then work with any residents who due to their circumstances end up in credit on their Council Tax account, to get the Rebate Grant transferred into their bank accounts as soon as possible.

Cllr Sarah Broughton, West Suffolk Council’s Cabinet Member for Resources and Property, said: “We have been working with Anglia Revenues Partnership to get this money out to eligible residents as quickly and easily as we can. The Rebate Grant does not have to be paid back, it is not taxable so you do not need to inform the HMRC or report as part of a self-assessment tax return, nor will it impact on Tax Credits or need reporting as part of a declaration for this. The Government is clear that the Council Tax Rebate payments will be disregarded when income-related benefits, including Council Tax Reduction, are being calculated. And if people are overdrawn, there’s details on our website as to how they can exercise “first right of appropriation” to ensure that they still get the money for its intended purpose of helping pay towards their increased gas and electricity bills.”

More details including a link to the form can be found on the Council’s dedicated webpage at www.westsuffolk.gov.uk/counciltax/council-tax-rebate-grant.cfm

There is also a dedicated phoneline on 01842 756456 set up by Anglia Revenues Partnership for anyone with any questions or concerns.

Christmas Angel Tree

Will someone you love be missing from your home this Christmas?

Perhaps they live far away, or are now in a care home, maybe through family separation, military posting or simply lost touch, sadly some will have died.

They are loved, not forgotten. Remember them by placing an angel on our Christmas tree with the name of your loved one to be blessed this Christmas by our priest.

Tree Angels are waiting at St. Mary’s Church Santon Downham

From 5^th December 2021. 

Church Open Daily.