The government’s council tax band checker website is unavailable after large numbers of people try to access it following a Budget announcement tied to a £100 energy bill payment. Multiple outlets report that the site freezes or crashes as demand spikes, leaving users unable to complete checks.
Reports note that users see error messages indicating a problem with the service, suggesting the system cannot handle the volume of visitors. While both right-leaning coverage frames the crash around people racing to confirm eligibility for the winter payment, the centre-left outlet similarly highlights the link to the Chancellor’s comments that millions will receive the £100 discount. Both aspects—high traffic prompted by the Budget and an official site outage—feature across the coverage, with differences mostly in wording and emphasis.
