MSE News

In council tax bands A-D and pay by direct debit? Check when your £150 energy rebate is coming

The vast majority of councils say that they've paid the £150 council tax rebate, a scheme launched in April to help tackle rising energy prices, to households that pay their bills by direct debit. If you haven't had yours yet, don't panic. Here's what you need to know.

Under the rebate scheme, councils are making a £150 non-repayable payment to households in council tax bands A to D in England, Scotland and Wales. This payment was expected to hit people's banks from April.

However, MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) research of 333 councils across England and Wales has found:

  • There are 213 councils that said they'd pay direct debit users the rebate by the end of May. We've listed these councils below – and if yours is there but you haven't had your payment yet, get in touch with your local authority, as it's likely to have been an admin error.

  • There are 22 councils that will pay direct debit users from June. So sit tight, it should be coming shortly. If you don't get it by the end of the month, contact your council.

  • There are 98 councils that haven't given a cut-off date for when you'll receive your payment – though they have until 30 September 2022. If you've not heard anything, check to see if you can set up a direct debit to get a payment sooner rather than later. If it's too late for a direct debit, ask how you'll get your money instead. 

Check our lists below to find out when your council expects to pay the rebate. 

In Scotland meanwhile, all 32 councils have already made a full or partial payment. Here, all councils will offer the full £150 discount off one monthly council tax bill, or they'll debit it across the year's bills (which are typically broken down into 10 months). However, Aberdeenshire Council allows households to exchange their council tax discount for a cash refund if they wish to do so.

For more information on council tax and how some can lower their council tax band and save £1,000s, see our Council tax bands guide, which also includes details of council tax discounts you may not be claiming. You should also check if you've overpaid council tax as you may be due a refund.

Here are the 213 councils that said they'd pay you in May if you had a direct debit set up

Check the list below, and if you haven't got your payment it's likely due to an administrative error. This will usually be down to:

  • Your council not being able to verify your bank account details.
  • The names not matching on your council tax account and your bank account. 

If you're concerned you've not received your money and haven't heard from your council to highlight any problems, it's best to contact your local authority to find out how you'll get your money.

For example, Leicester City Council's website states: "If the bank accounts are in different names to the council tax account, we will look to issue a Post Office voucher to you in an effort to get the payment to you as soon as we can."

Meanwhile, households that fall under Luton Borough Council will be "invited to complete a short online form" in this instance, and residents in the London borough of Lewisham should have been written to by the end of May. 

  • Full list of the 213 councils that said they'd make payments by the end of May

    Adur and Worthing Borough Council
    Amber Valley Borough Council
    Arun District Council
    Ashfield District Council
    Ashford Borough Council
    Babergh District Council
    Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council
    Basildon Borough Council
    Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council
    Bedford Borough Council
    Blaby District Council
    Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council
    Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council
    Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council
    Borough of Broxbourne
    Boston Borough Council
    Bournemouth (BCP) Council
    Bracknell Forest Council
    Bradford Metropolitan District Council
    Braintree District Council
    Brentwood Borough Council
    Brighton and Hove City Council
    Bristol City Council
    Broadland District Council
    Bromsgrove District Council
    Broxtowe Borough Council
    Burnley Borough Council
    Bury Metropolitan Borough Council
    Caerphilly County Borough Council
    Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council
    Cambridge City Council
    Cannock Chase District Council
    Canterbury City Council
    Carlisle City Council
    Castle Point Borough Council
    Central Bedfordshire Council
    Ceredigion County Council
    Charnwood Borough Council
    Cheltenham Borough Council
    Cheshire East Council
    Cheshire West and Chester Council
    Chesterfield Borough Council
    Chichester District Council
    Christchurch (BCP) Council 
    City and County of Swansea Council
    City of Cardiff Council
    City of Lincoln Council
    City of York Council
    Colchester Borough Council
    Conwy County Borough Council
    Cotswold District Council
    Coventry City Council
    Crawley Borough Council
    Dacorum Council
    Darlington Borough Council
    Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council
    Dover District Council
    Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
    Durham County Council
    East Devon District Council
    East Hampshire District Council
    East Hertfordshire District Council
    East Lindsey District Council
    East Staffordshire Borough Council
    Elmbridge Borough Council
    Epping Forest District Council
    Exeter City Council
    Flintshire County Council
    Folkestone and Hythe District Council 
    Forest of Dean District Council
    Fylde Borough Council
    Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council
    Gedling Borough Council
    Gloucester City Council
    Gosport Borough Council
    Gravesham Borough Council
    Great Yarmouth Borough Council
    Guildford Borough Council
    Harlow Council
    Harrogate Borough Council
    Hart District Council
    Hartlepool Borough Council
    Hastings Borough Council
    Havant Borough Council
    Hertsmere Borough Council
    High Peak Borough Council
    Horsham District Council
    Huntingdonshire District Council
    Hyndburn Borough Council
    Ipswich Borough Council
    Kingston-upon-Hull City Council
    Kirklees Council
    Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council
    Lancaster City Council
    Leicester City Council
    Lichfield District Council
    London Borough of Barnet
    London Borough of Bexley
    London Borough of Brent
    London Borough of Ealing
    London Borough of Enfield
    London Borough of Hackney
    London Borough of Haringey
    London Borough of Hillingdon
    London Borough of Hounslow
    London Borough of Islington
    London Borough of Lambeth
    London Borough of Redbridge
    London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
    London Borough of Southwark
    London Borough of Sutton
    London Borough of Waltham Forest
    London Borough of Wandsworth
    Maidstone Borough Council
    Manchester City Council
    Mansfield District Council
    Medway Council
    Melton Borough Council
    Mendip District Council
    Mid Devon District Council
    Mid Suffolk District Council
    Mid Sussex District Council
    Middlesbrough Borough Council
    Milton Keynes Council
    Monmouthshire County Council
    Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council
    New Forest District Council
    Newark and Sherwood District Council
    Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council
    North East Derbyshire District Council
    North East Lincolnshire Council
    North Hertfordshire District Council
    North Kesteven District Council
    North Lincolnshire Council
    North Norfolk District Council
    North Northamptonshire Council
    North Somerset Council
    North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council
    North Warwickshire Borough Council
    Norwich City Council
    Nottingham City Council
    Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council
    Oadby and Wigston Borough Council
    Oxford City Council
    Pembrokeshire County Council
    Plymouth City Council
    Poole (BCP) Council
    Portsmouth City Council
    Powys County Council
    Reading Borough Council
    Redcar and Cleveland Council
    Redditch Borough Council
    Reigate & Banstead Borough Council
    Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
    Ribble Valley Borough Council
    Richmondshire District Council
    Rossendale Borough Council
    Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council
    Royal Borough of Greenwich
    Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
    Rugby Borough Council
    Rushmoor Borough Council
    Rutland County Council
    Salford City Council
    Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council
    Scarborough Borough Council
    Sedgemoor District Council
    Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council
    Sevenoaks District Council
    Shropshire Council
    Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council
    Somerset West and Taunton Council
    South Cambridgeshire District Council
    South Hams District Council
    South Holland District Council
    South Kesteven District Council
    South Norfolk District Council
    South Oxfordshire District Council
    Southampton City Council
    St Albans City and District Council
    Stafford Borough Council
    Stevenage Borough Council
    Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council
    Stratford-on-Avon District Council
    Stroud District Council
    Sunderland City Council
    Surrey Heath Borough Council
    Swale Borough Council
    Swindon Borough Council
    Teignbridge District Council
    Telford & Wrekin Council
    Tendring District Council
    Thanet District Council
    Thurrock Council
    Torbay Council
    Torfaen County Borough Council
    Vale of White Horse District Council
    Wakefield Metropolitan District Council
    Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council
    Warwick District Council
    Welwyn Hatfield Council
    West Berkshire Council
    West Devon Borough Council
    West Lindsey District Council
    West Oxfordshire District Council
    Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
    Winchester City Council
    Wokingham Borough Council
    Wolverhampton City Council
    Worcester City Council
    Wrexham County Borough Council
    Wychavon District Council
    Wyre Council

Another 22 councils will pay in June

So sit tight, it should be coming. If it doesn't, contact your council to find out why and what you need to do next.

  • Full list of the 22 councils that will pay you in June

    Breckland District Council

    Carmarthenshire County Council

    East Cambridgeshire District Council

    East Suffolk Council

    Erewash Borough Council

    Fenland District Council

    Leeds City Council

    Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Council

    North Devon Council

    Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council

    Rushcliffe Borough Council

    Slough Borough Council

    South Derbyshire District Council

    South Gloucestershire Council

    South Somerset District Council

    South Staffordshire Council

    Staffordshire County Council

    Stoke-on-Trent City Council

    Tewkesbury Borough Council

    Wealden District Council

    West Suffolk Council

    Wirral Council

The following 98 councils have given no fixed date for when payments will be made – and they technically have until 30 September 2022

MSE had urged households in February to set up a direct debit to pay their council tax bills. This meant councils had your bank account details on file to make the £150 payments quickly from April.

If you haven't done so and you haven't had your payment yet, you can triple-check with your council if you still can set up a direct debit, but it's likely to be too late now and you'll instead get your rebate another way. 

Over 85 councils have so far launched online forms to allow households to pass on their bank account details, for example, while other local authorities say they will send cheques or Post Office vouchers. 

The majority of councils state that they will issue the £150 rebate to those who don't pay by direct debit between June and September. And all rebate payments must be made by 30 September. 

  • Full list of 98 councils that will make payments by 30 September

    Allerdale Borough Council
    Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council
    Bassetlaw District Council
    Bath and North East Somerset Council
    Birmingham City Council
    Blackpool Borough Council
    Bolsover District Council
    Bridgend County Borough Council
    Buckinghamshire Council
    Chelmsford City Council
    Cherwell District Council
    Chorley Council
    City of London
    Copeland Borough Council
    Cornwall Council
    Craven District Council
    Dartford Borough Council
    Denbighshire County Council
    Derby City Council
    Derbyshire Dales District Council
    Dorset Council
    East Riding of Yorkshire Council
    Eastbourne Borough Council
    Eastleigh Borough Council
    Eden District Council
    Epsom and Ewell Borough Council
    Fareham Borough Council
    Gwynedd County Council
    Halton Borough Council
    Hambleton District Council
    Harborough District Council
    Herefordshire Council
    Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council
    Isle of Anglesey County Council
    Isle of Wight Council
    Isles of Scilly Council
    King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council
    Lewes District Council
    Liverpool City Council
    London Borough of Barking and Dagenham
    London Borough of Bromley
    London Borough of Camden
    London Borough of Croydon
    London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham
    London Borough of Harrow
    London Borough of Havering
    London Borough of Lewisham
    London Borough of Merton
    London Borough of Newham
    London Borough of Tower Hamlets
    Luton Borough Council
    Maldon District Council
    Malvern Hills District Council
    Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council
    Mole Valley District Council
    Newport City Council
    North West Leicestershire District Council
    Northumberland County Council
    Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council
    Pendle Borough Council
    Peterborough City Council
    Preston City Council
    Rochford District Council
    Rother District Council
    Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
    Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
    Runnymede Borough Council
    Ryedale District Council
    Selby District Council
    Sheffield City Council
    South Lakeland District Council
    South Ribble Borough Council
    South Tyneside Council
    Southend-on-Sea Borough Council
    Spelthorne Borough Council
    St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council
    Staffordshire Moorlands District Council
    Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council
    Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council
    Tamworth Borough Council
    Tandridge District Council
    Test Valley Borough Council
    Three Rivers District Council
    Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council
    Torridge District Council
    Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council
    Tunbridge Wells Borough Council
    Uttlesford District Council
    Vale of Glamorgan Council
    Warrington Borough Council
    Watford Borough Council
    Waverley Borough Council
    West Lancashire Borough Council
    West Northamptonshire Council
    Westminster City Council
    Wiltshire Council
    Woking Borough Council
    Wyre Forest District Council

Beware cold callers asking for your details 'to pay you the rebate'

Households should continue to be vigilant and beware cold callers asking for their bank account details in relation to the £150 council tax rebate. Any calls about the rebate will almost certainly be a scam. See our Rebate scam MSE News story to learn what you can do to protect yourself from scammers. 

The £150 is only available to those in certain council tax bands

Those living in properties banded E to H will have to wait until later in the year to see if they qualify for any cash. This is because local authorities are still clarifying eligibility for so-called "discretionary funding", which will see councils in England able to divvy up a pot worth £144 million to those deemed most vulnerable, and who may not be eligible for the main £150 rebate.

Funding has also been given to the devolved Governments in Scotland and Wales. Households don't pay council tax in Northern Ireland. 

As it's up to your local authority to decide how the discretionary fund is distributed, it's best to keep checking its website so you'll be the first to know if you qualify. 

MSE weekly email

FREE weekly MoneySaving email

For all the latest deals, guides and loopholes simply sign up today – it's spam-free!