2.7m households yet to receive £150 council tax rebate at end of July

Some 2.7 million eligible households in England had yet to receive a £150 council tax rebate from the Government to help with the cost of living at the end of July.

Figures published on Thursday showed that 16.6 million households – 86% of those eligible – had been handed the one-off payment by that date, according to the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).

More were expected to have received the money over the course of August.

But anyone yet to obtain the payment should check their council’s website and make a claim by the end of September, DLUHC said.

The £150 rebate for homes in council tax bands A to D in England is part of the Government’s £37 billion package of support to help people with soaring costs.

All councils in England have started paying out the money and have processes in place to get it to those who do not pay their council tax by direct debit.

But it could take longer to reach council taxpayers without direct debit arrangements as local authorities need to attempt to contact them about the rebate scheme and carry out checks, the Local Government Association said earlier this year.

The new figures show that some £2.5 billion has been sent to A to D council tax properties under the scheme, DLUHC said.

Councils have been given another £144 million to provide discretionary support to households struggling due to rocketing energy bills, including transient groups such as students and people on low incomes in council tax bands E to H.

Levelling Up Secretary Greg Clark said: “I’m pleased to see further progress in paying the council tax rebate out to the millions of households who are eligible to receive it.

“We want to make sure that those most in need receive the support that they are entitled to help households with the cost of living. This is why I am urging everyone to check their eligibility to receive the rebate and contact their councils if they have not.”