A deadline is looming for people to get a £150 tax rebate grant.
Thousands could miss out on the extra money if they do not claim it in time. The rebate, unveiled by ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak in April, aims to help households in council tax bands A-D to help cope with rising energy bills.
Those who pay council tax via Direct Debit should have already automatically received the grant, however those paying in another way should have applied for the money. The Government has given councils a deadline of September 30 to pay the funds, the Mirror reports.
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Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “This is a botched Government scheme which leaves families and pensioners out in the cold. It was clear from the start that payments were never going to reach some of those who need it most. Now time is running out to save people from catastrophic energy bills.”
He added: "It is a national disgrace that pensioners in Britain will be choosing between heating and eating this winter. Yet we have a zombie government refusing to act even when their own half-baked programmes are proved to be unworkable."
Andrew Western of the Local Government Association said councils had “worked hard” to distribute the £150, but it “has been a significant task and not without its challenges”. He added: “Anyone who is eligible for the £150 payment, but who has not claimed for it yet, should contact their council as soon as possible.”
While most people who pay council tax by direct debit got the £150 automatically, those who don’t had to apply to their council. Councils have been ordered to run “pre-payment checks” on people who apply to ensure they are eligible.
The Lib Dems analysed responses to Freedom of Information requests they sent in mid-July to 155 councils. Leeds had 70,000 eligible non-direct debit residents who had not applied.
The London boroughs of Hackney, Waltham Forest and Tower Hamlets had 45,000, 33,000 and 32,000. Cornwall Council had nearly 30,000 residents who had not applied while Hull and Bournemouth each had nearly 20,000.
Four councils still do not have payment processes in place and have spoken to Local Government Minister Paul Scully. Councils say they have invited applications online and by phone, and have offered bank account transfers, vouchers and Post Office payments.
But town, city and county halls will no longer be refunded by the government for any £150 payments they make after September 30. They can continue to use a £144m discretionary fund but only until November 30.
A Government spokeswoman said: “In a matter of months, more than £2bn has been paid out, helping more than 15million households as part of our wider £37bn support package to help with cost of living pressures. Councils have been given £28m to deliver the payments, including to set up software and recruit staff and they have until the end of September to do so.
“We are urging councils to make payments without further delay and have given a host of options to do this quickly and securely – including bank account transfers, council tax account credits or a voucher-based system.”
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