Martin Lewis ’ MoneySavingExpert has warned households that they may not get their £150 council tax rebate until June.
Councils have been instructed to give all households in council tax bands A to D a £150 one-off payment, due to the cost of living crisis and rising energy bills.
Those who pay by direct debit should receive the payment automatically, while those who pay manually will be contacted by their local authority.
The payments are supposed to arrive “from April” when Chancellor Rishi Sunak first confirmed the scheme back in February.
However, MSE reports how some councils have told residents to expect substantial delays.
This is despite some homes being under the impression that they would receive the payment this month - just as bills such as council tax, broadband, mobile and water all go up in price.
"One MoneySaver has passed on a letter they received from their local council, South Derbyshire, that stated that payments would not be made until 'at least June' because of 'software' issues," the MSE report said.
"The letter, which was sent to 39,000 people, went onto say that there could be further delays."
Another concerned person from Portsmouth got in touch with MSE and said they'd been told they wouldn't receive their payment until September.
Have you been told your council tax rebate won't arrive this month? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk
We've asked Portsmouth City Council to confirm if this is the case and we'll update this article.
Some councils are still expecting to send payments this month.
The Mirror checked Ashford Borough Council website and it states "we are aiming to make these payments by the end of April" for those who pay by direct debit.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities said "many [councils] are aiming to pay eligible households in April" but said each local authority is able to decide how they run their claims process.
The guidance issued to councils is that payments should be made by September 30, according to MSE.
In the weeks leading up to April, councils urged people to ensure that they switched to direct debit so that they could be paid as promptly as possible.
If you live in England or Wales you can find out your council tax band by entering your postcode into the government website here.
Those who live in Scotland will need to use the Scottish Assessors website.
If you're struggling to pay your council tax bill, but you're not eligible for the £150 rebate, you may be able to claim support through a separate £144million pot going to councils.
Each council decides who is entitled to the funding, and what help you could get, so speak to your local authority for more information.
We've got more ways to lower your council tax bill here.
