Four reasons your £150 council tax rebate could be DELAYED – and what to do

MILLIONS of people across the country are expecting a council tax rebate this month to help with the cost of living crisis.

The payments are worth £150 and four in five households are getting the cash.

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The government announced the help in February with councils making payments in April and you won’t have to give the cash back.

Households in England in council tax bands A to D will get the cash, around 80% of households in England.

You can find out which band you’re in by using the government’s search tool – you just need to enter your postcode.

Scotland and Wales are offering a similar scheme, but the way it’s paid is different.

But some people eligible for the much-needed cash face a longer wait than others.

Here are all the reasons you could see your council tax rebate delayed and what you can do to speed things up.

You pay your Council Tax bill manually

Households have been urged to set up a direct debit for paying their council tax bill to make sure they get their payment sooner.

The cash is given by councils as a one-of payment to bank accounts, rather than a discount on your bill.

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Having a direct debit set up means the council has your details and can process the £150 payment automatically.

If you don’t pay direct debit and make a payment each month manually, you may have to apply for the cash which can take longer.

You pay your Council Tax bill later in the month

Even if you have a direct debit set up you could still get your £150 later on.

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, for instance the 28th, you might have to wait until after this goes out.

Guidance form the government has recommended that councils do this to make sure the right people get the cash.

You don’t pay Council Tax

An estimated 2million households on low incomes who don’t pay council tax face a longer wait for the payments.

Many people get 100% discount on their bill through different support schemes.

As they don’t pay a bill, their bank details won’t be on record with the council, so instead they will have to apply.

Many councils have not yet set out how this process will work, but say they will send letters to those eligible with more information about claiming.

Your council is not ready

Some councils are understood to be facing challenges giving out the rebates.

One council insider told The Sun it is not sure how many payments can be made each day.

And software changes needed to process the payments have not yet been made, or systems not tested as the scheme is new.

What you can do to speed up your £150 council tax rebate payment

Unfortunately when you get your £150 rebate depends heavily on where you live.

Each council will have different systems, dates can vary, and the scheme is new.

While you can’t do anything about this, there are some steps you can take to speed up the process as much as possible.

If you pay your bill manually you could pay it earlier in the month, which could hep you get the money sooner, if you can afford to.

The council will be able to see that you are eligible for the rebate.

You may still have to apply though, depending on your council, so check how yours is giving them out.

Setting up a direct debit could get you the payment quicker, make sure to set a date earlier in the month if you do.

If you pay by direct debit but later in the month, check if you can change the date.

But it’s worth checking with your council if it will take effect this month.

If you’re eligible for the rebate but you don’t pay a bill and need to apply you should keep an eye out for a letter.

This could also be the case if you pay your bill manually and the council don’t have bank details on record for you.

Your council will be in touch telling you how to apply for the £150.

But beware of scams where criminals are asking for bank details via text, email or call claiming this is how you get the rebate.

Experts have warned about the red flags to look out for so you don’t lose cash.

If you’re not eligible for the one-off refund, you should check whether you qualify for any other help.

A separate £144million fund has also been launched which local councils can dish out to vulnerable and low income households.

This post first appeared on thesun.co.uk