Households facing six month wait for £150 council tax rebate

Households in England are facing a six month delay for the £150 council tax rebate despite the Chancellor

Rishi Sunak announcing the one-off cash support would start landing in accounts from April.

Only a fraction of local authorities have dished out the payment to struggling households, but some have indicated that payments would be delayed until September, The Telegraph reports.

The news comes as millions of people across the UK feel the pressure of the mounting cost of living crisis.

Why is there a delay to payments?

Some of the delays have been down to software system issues with the technology needed to pay the cash all in one go to households, according to reports.

Meanwhile some councils are trying to set up systems for households that do not pay council tax via direct debit, because they cannot get the payment automatically.

Households may also be experiencing delays if they pay their council tax bill manually.

Having a direct debit set up means the council has your details and can process the £150 payment automatically, but those that do not pay direct debit and instead make a payment manually each month may have to apply for the cash which can take longer.

Many councils are only making the payment after the first council tax bill payment has been made for April, so if your bill date is later in the month you might have to wait until after this goes out.

Which local councils are delaying the rebate?

Councils that could delay payments up until September include North Tyneside Council, Hastings Council and Colchester Council, with North Tyneside Council describing the rebate scheme as a "significant challenge".

However, households living in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in London and those in the West Midlands are seeing the money land in their accounts already.

Residents in Hull also saw the cash enter their bank accounts earlier this week.

How to check when yours will be paid

You should check who your local council is by using the gov.uk council finder tool online.

More information about the rebate and when it will be paid should be listed on your authority’s website. If you cannot find any information it is worth ringing the council and asking for more details.

Not all local authorities have confirmed how the rebate will be paid, so you might have to wait for this to be announced. Some councils will still let you sign up to pay by direct debit to get the grant sooner.

If you do not pay by direct debit, your council should list more information on what to do in order to get the cash.