Win £25,000 by paying council tax with Direct Debit
A new prize draw promotion launched by 20 London councils in conjunction with Bacs Payment Schemes Ltd (Bacs), the not-for-profit organisation responsible for managing Direct Debit, is offering London residents the opportunity to win £25,000 by paying their council tax by Direct Debit.
People living in Barnet, Brent, Camden, City of Westminster, Ealing, Enfield, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Kensington and Chelsea, Islington, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Richmond and Wandsworth are all eligible to enter the draw.
To be in with a chance to win, residents must register to pay their council tax bill by Direct Debit by 5pm on 15th July 2010, either by: returning a completed paper Direct Debit Instruction to their local council or signing up to Direct Debit via their council’s website or over the telephone. Residents who already pay their council tax bill by Direct Debit will be automatically entered into the prize draw.
Speaking on behalf of the participating London councils Geoff Waterton, Head of Collection at Enfield Council said:
“There are huge benefits to paying council tax bills by Direct Debit for both council tax payers and councils. For residents Direct Debit is a safe and secure payment method which will save them time, and offers peace of mind that they will not miss a payment. For the councils, processing Direct Debits generates long term cost savings which can contribute to enhancing council services to the benefit of residents.
“As council tax bills begin to reach households across London, we are encouraging as many people as possible to switch to pay their council tax by Direct Debit and be in with the chance of winning £25,000. Further information about the prize draw will be included with council tax bills sent in March”.
Commenting on the prize draw promotion, managing director of Bacs, Michael Chambers said: “We are delighted to be supporting the 20 participating local authorities in this new and exciting Direct Debit promotion.
“Our research suggests that 74% of the UK adult population have a positive attitude to Direct Debit. What’s more Direct Debit is widely recognised as the most efficient method of collecting council tax payments.
“With this in mind Bacs has a strong commitment to helping local authorities improve their council tax collection rates. The prize draw is an example of an effective, and exciting, Direct Debit promotion that will enable customers to benefit from a trusted, reliable and hassle free payment method, and the councils involved to reap cost savings and revenue efficiency benefits”.
The prize draw winner will be drawn on 20th July 2010.
For more information on the free prize draw and how to sign up to Direct Debit visit www.ddwinner.com or contact your local council.
Notes to editor
For all media enquiries regarding the Direct Debit Prize Draw contact the Bacs press office.
About the prize draw
Who is eligible to enter the prize draw?
Residents living in participating London boroughs who sign up to pay their council tax by Direct Debit by 5pm on 15th July 2010 are eligible to enter the prize draw. Existing Direct Debit council tax paying residents from the participating areas will automatically be entered.
Can people who live in a borough not listed as participating still enter?
No. The terms and conditions of the Direct Debit prize draw state that only residents from participating boroughs are eligible to enter.
How do people enter the prize draw?
Residents from the 20 participating boroughs who wish to enter the prize draw must sign up to pay their council tax by Direct Debit, by either filling out a paper Direct Debit Instruction, registering via their council’s website or over the telephone. All instructions for Direct Debit payments must have been received by the participating councils by 5pm on 15th July 2010. Residents living in participating boroughs who already pay their council tax by Direct Debit will automatically be entered.
What if an existing Direct Debit council tax payer does not 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.
How will the winner be drawn?
For further information on how the winner will be drawn please see the terms and conditions outlined on the prize draw web site www.ddwinner.co.uk which outline exactly how the winner will be selected.
When and where can I find out who has won?
The name and London borough of the winner will be available in writing from Bacs Payment Schemes Limited 30 days after the prize draw.
How will the personal details of residents entering into the prize draw be safeguarded by the organisations running the promotion?
All personal and financial details of residents entering the prize draw are safeguarded by the council with whom they are registered. The prize draw will be made anonymously and the identity of the winner only revealed after the draw. At that point only name and contact details of the winner will be provided to the Promoter, all financial information remains confidential.
What happens if a resident’s council tax is part funded by other people/third parties – can they still enter?
The prize will be awarded via transfer into the bank account from which the council tax Direct Debits are taken. Where council tax is paid jointly by more than one person then any subsequent division of the prize by the account holder (s) (if applicable) will be the responsibility of the winning bank account holder(s) and not Bacs Payment Schemes Ltd.
Some councils are offering a second prize – where can I find details?
The awarding of additional prizes is the decision of each council and the draws operate under separate terms and conditions. Details of secondary prize draws can be found via each of the council’s websites, links to which can be found from www.ddwinner.co.uk under the How to Enter section).