Direct Debit
Don't delay, set up your Direct Debit today and you could win £25,000!
We are currently taking part in a London-wide Direct Debit campaign in conjunction with Bacs Payment Schemes Ltd and 16 other London Boroughs.
To be in with a chance to win £25,000 sign up to pay your council tax by Direct Debit. More about the Prize Draw.
- Why pay by Direct Debit?
- How to set up a Direct Debit
- About the Prize Draw
- About Bacs
- More about Direct Debit
Why pay by Direct Debit?
Not only is Direct Debit the easiest way for you to pay but it is also the most cost-effective way for us to collect your council tax payments.
Direct Debit saves you time and effort and payments are guaranteed.
If you choose to pay by Direct Debit you can get up to 12 months to pay your council tax rather than 10 (available from April to March only). To pay over 12 months, just complete our request to pay over 12 months eform or you can contact us on 020 8489 1000. Please be aware that instalments can only be offered until March 2014. Therefore if you make this request in May the number of monthly instalments will reduce in accordance with the number of months available until March 2014.
If you change to Direct Debit we will also give you a choice of two payment dates, either the 1st or 15th or each month. Your Direct Debit will continue year on year so there is no need for you to contact your bank at the beginning and end of your instalment plan.
So why not make the switch now and you'll be entered into our free prize draw to win a life changing £25,000. Happy Days indeed!
- Set up a Direct Debit with your bank and payments are made automatically but you stay in control - it can be cancelled at any time
- You are protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee - you’ll get a full refund from your bank if an error is made in the payment of your Direct Debit
- Once your Direct Debit is set up it will continue year on year so there is no need for you to contact your bank at the beginning and end of your instalment plan
- You can trust Direct Debit to be totally secure - so just relax and enjoy how it frees up your time
How to set up a Direct Debit
By phone
If you want to pay by Direct Debit, this can usually be set up over the phone. Call us on 020 8489 1000 with your council tax account number and your bank details. A letter and bill will be sent confirming that your details have been set up and when your first payment will be collected. The letter includes a copy of the Direct Debit guarantee scheme for your records.
In writing
You can also download and complete a Direct Debit Instruction (PDF 51KB). Please send the completed form to:
Haringey Council
Revenues, Benefits and Customer Services
PO Box 10505
London
N22 7WJ
Please note, if you complete and return a Direct Debit instruction, you should continue to pay your monthly instalments until you receive a new bill advising you of a new instalment plan which will be collected by Direct Debit.
Direct Debits can be collected from most bank or building society accounts with a few exceptions such as savings accounts. Please check with your bank or building society if you are unsure.
Any payments made by Direct Debit are protected under the Direct Debit guarantee. For further information visit the Direct Debit website (external link).
No Bank Account?
The Financial Services Authority (FSA) can offer you independent advice on how to open and use a basic bank account. Please call 0845 606 1234 for an information booklet, or visit the FSA website (external link).
|back to topAbout the prize draw
How do I enter the promotion?
Simply register to pay your council tax before the closing date of 12 July 2013. You can register by signing up to pay your council tax by Direct Debit. If you live in one of the participating areas and already pay your council tax by Direct Debit then you will automatically have been entered.
When does the promotion close?
An instruction for Direct Debit payment must have been received by the council by 5pm on 12 July 2013.
What if I don't want to be entered?
All registered Direct Debit council tax payers in the participating council areas are automatically entered, however there is no requirement from the winner, other than to accept the prize.
Why is my council actively promoting Direct Debit payment?
As well as benefiting the payer, receiving payment by Direct Debit helps councils improve their efficiency and make cost savings.
Have any of my personal details been accessed by the organisations running the promotion?
Your personal and financial details are safeguarded by the council with whom you are registered. The prize draw will be made anonymously and the identity of the winner only revealed post the draw. At that point only the name and contact details of the winner will be provided to the Promoter, any financial information remains confidential.
How will the winner be drawn?
See the Prize Draw Terms and Conditions (PDF, 18KB), which outline exactly how the winner will be selected.
The winner will be notified by their council by post and/or phone within 14 days of the prize draw. At no time in this process will they be asked to provide details of their bank account or other financial arrangements to the council, as sufficient information is already held via their Direct Debit Instruction. Should any resident receive a call purporting to be from their council and requesting such information be supplied, then they should assume that it is fraudulent and report it immediately.
When and where can I find out who has won?
Unless they request confidentiality, the details of the winner will be posted on the Direct Debit easy winner website (external link)
My council tax payments are funded partly by other people - can I still enter?
Anyone registered to pay by Direct Debit is eligible. The prize will be paid into the bank account from which the council tax payments are made and any subsequent division of the prize fund will be up to the bank account holder(s).
My council isn't listed as taking part. Can I still enter?
Unfortunately no, the decision to participate was made on a council by council basis.
I am about to change address, or have just done so, can I still enter?
In order to participate you must be living at an address within one of the participating boroughs and registered to pay your council tax by Direct Debit payment as at the closing date.
About Bacs
Founded in 1968, Bacs, the not-for-profit, membership-based industry body is owned by 15 of the leading banks and building societies in the UK and Europe.
Responsible for the schemes behind the clearing and settlement of automated payments in the UK including Direct Debit and Bacs Direct Credit, Bacs has been maintaining the integrity of payment related services for over 40 years.
Since its inception, more than 79 billion transactions have been debited or credited to British bank accounts via Bacs. And in 2009 more than 5.6 billion UK payments were made this way with a total value of £3.83 trillion.
For further information please visit the Bacs website (external link) or go to the Smart Way to Pay website (external link), the home of The Smarts, an animated family who use automated payments to help improve financial management and control.
|back to topMore about Direct Debit
A Direct Debit is an instruction from a customer to their bank or building society authorising an organisation to collect varying amounts from their account. This can be used to ensure regular, safe and efficient payments of anything from household bills to charitable donations. Over three billion Direct Debit payments are processed by Bacs a year and 72 per cent of adults now have at least one Direct Debit commitment.
To learn more about setting up a Direct Debit to help keep your bank account in order, please contact your bank or building society.
Useful External Links
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