Council Tax – January Direct Debit

Milton Keynes City Council Direct Debits for Council Tax, Business Rates and Housing Benefit Overpayments due to be collected at the beginning of January 2023 have been taken from bank accounts on 29 December in error.We apologise for this mistake and recognise that taking a payment early will cause distress and difficulties at this time of year.

This was an administrative error on our part due to a mistake in how the payments should have been processed over a bank holiday.

Your Direct Debit is covered by the Direct Debit Indemnity Scheme. This means you may be able to claim a refund from your bank far faster than any other method. You will need to contact them for specific details.

Some people may incur bank charges as a result of our error. If you have been impacted, please contact us via counciltax@milton-keynes.gov.uk or by calling 01908 253 794.

We understand that for some people there may be an issue between the money being taken out of your account and the need for that money immediately before you were due to pay your Council Tax. If you require financial advice or cost of living support, you can access local services and help at www.milton-keynes.gov.uk/benefits/cost-living-support

Frequently Asked Questions

1. If my January payment has been taken early, will I end up paying twice?
   No. The payment taken is the January instalment and no further instalment will be taken from your bank until the next scheduled collection date on 1 Feb if you make payments over 12 months. Where you make payments over 10 months, no further instalment will be taken until 1 April 2023.
2. What happens if I receive bank charges as a direct result of the early payment request?
   The City Council will reimburse bank charges that are a direct result of this error.  Please contact counciltax@milton-keynes.gov.uk with details of the charges incurred.
3. If I have already sought this early payment back from my bank, what will my new payment date be?
   If the payment has been returned to your bank account by your bank you will still need to arrange payment to the City Council for your January instalment. We will not be asking your bank to pay it again and so you will need to make payment either online, by bank transfer or on our automated payment line. Details on these payment methods can be found at Pay council tax | Milton Keynes City Council (milton-keynes.gov.uk). Payment is due on 3 January.
4. My Direct Debit was not paid by my bank as there were insufficient funds in my account on 29 December, what should I do?
   If your bank did not make payment to the City Council then you will still need to arrange payment to the Council for your January instalment. We will not be asking your bank to pay it again and so you will need to make payment either online, by bank transfer or on our automated payment line. Details on these payment methods can be found at Pay council tax | Milton Keynes City Council (milton-keynes.gov.uk). Payment is due on 3 January.