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Don't pay your council tax bill by direct debit? Check now to see how and when you'll get your £150 rebate

If you don't pay your council tax by direct debit it's likely you've yet to receive your free £150 energy rebate from the Government. To help you find out when and how you're expected to get your money, we've put together this council-by-council guide.

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.

While most councils have prioritised getting the money to households that pay their council tax bill by direct debit first, all have now released information on how they expect to pay those who pay their council tax bill by other means. As it's now too late to set up a direct debit to receive the money, you'll instead get your rebate another way.

We looked at the websites of all 332 councils across England and Wales that are responsible for paying the rebates. Here are the different payment methods we found:

  • Complete a form online and get paid into your bank account. This is the most common payment route for people who don't pay by direct debit and our research shows it is being used by 274 councils. The forms allow you to share your bank details with your council safely, so it can put the £150 directly into your account. Some of the forms will require you to provide a unique code, and this'll likely be contained in a letter sent by your council – so keep a look out for that.

    If you have the option of filling in an online form but don't, your council will either apply the £150 rebate as a credit to your council tax account (reducing your monthly bill) or send you a Post Office voucher. Deadlines for filling in the form differ by council, and some have already passed – so if you want the cash, complete the form as soon as you can.
  • A voucher to be redeemed at the post office. Forty-six councils have said they will send you a letter in the post containing a unique barcode that you'll be able to take to any of the UK's 11,500 post office branches to receive the £150. Use the Post Office's branch finder tool to find your nearest.
  • A credit applied to your council tax account. Nine councils in England and Wales have said they will apply the £150 credit to the council tax accounts of all eligible households. If you owe your council money, this'll reduce that amount. But it's still worth contacting your council to see if it will refund the £150 as cash.
  • A cheque in the post for you to cash with your bank. Three councils said they are sending households a cheque worth £150 to those who don't pay by direct debit. You'll be able to cash this at your usual bank or building society, or via its smartphone app.

If you live in Scotland, all 32 councils with responsibility for the rebates 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.

For more information on council tax and how you might be able to change your 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's how your council will pay you the rebate

If your council needs you to fill out an online form, where possible we've provided the links to these applications directly in the list below.

Adur and Worthing Borough Council Complete online form
Allerdale Borough Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Amber Valley Borough Council Complete online form
Arun District Council Complete online form
Ashfield District Council Complete online form
Ashford Borough Council £150 credited to council tax account
Babergh District Council Complete online form
Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
Barrow-in-Furness Borough Council Complete online form
Basildon Borough Council Complete online form
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council Complete online form
Bassetlaw District Council Complete online form
Bath and North East Somerset Council Complete online form
Bedford Borough Council Complete online form
Birmingham City Council Complete online form
Blaby District Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Complete online form
Blackpool Borough Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Complete online form
Bolsover District Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council Complete online form
Borough of Broxbourne Complete online form
Boston Borough Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Bournemouth (BCP) Council Complete online form
Bracknell Forest Council Complete online form
Bradford Metropolitan District Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Braintree District Council Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
Breckland District Council £150 credited to council tax account
Brentwood Borough Council Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
Bridgend County Borough Council Complete online form
Brighton and Hove City Council Complete online form
Bristol City Council Complete online form
Broadland District Council Complete online form
Bromley London Borough Council £150 credited to council tax account
Bromsgrove District Council Complete online form
Broxtowe Borough Council Complete online form
Buckinghamshire Council Complete online form
Burnley Borough Council Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
Bury Metropolitan Borough Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Caerphilly County Borough Council Complete online form
Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council Complete online form
Cambridge City Council Complete online form
Cannock Chase District Council Complete online form
Canterbury City Council Complete online form
Carlisle City Council Complete online form
Carmarthenshire County Council Complete online form
Castle Point Borough Council Complete online form
Central Bedfordshire Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Ceredigion County Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Charnwood Borough Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Chelmsford City Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Cheltenham Borough Council Complete online form
Cherwell District Council Complete online form
Cheshire East Council Complete online form
Cheshire West and Chester Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Chesterfield Borough Council Complete online form
Chichester District Council Complete online form
Chorley Council Complete online form
Christchurch (BCP) Council Complete online form
City and County of Swansea Council Complete online form
City of Cardiff Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
City of Lincoln Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
City of London Council Complete online form
City of York Council Complete online form
Colchester Borough Council Complete online form
Conwy County Borough Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Copeland Borough Council Complete online form
Cornwall Council Complete online form
Cotswold District Council Complete online form
Coventry City Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Craven District Council Complete online form
Crawley Borough Council Complete online form
Dacorum Council Complete online form
Darlington Borough Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Dartford Borough Council Complete online form
Denbighshire County Council Complete online form
Derby City Council Complete online form
Derbyshire Dales District Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council Complete online form
Dorset Council Complete online form
Dover District Council Complete online form
Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council Complete online form
Durham County Council Complete online form
East Cambridgeshire District Council £150 credited to council tax account
East Devon District Council Complete online form
East Hampshire District Council Complete online form
East Hertfordshire District Council Complete online form
East Lindsey District Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
East Riding of Yorkshire Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
East Staffordshire Borough Council Complete online form
East Suffolk Council £150 credited to council tax account
Eastbourne Borough Council Complete online form
Eastleigh Borough Council Eligible households will receive a cheque of £150
Eden District Council Complete online form
Elmbridge Borough Council Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
Epping Forest District Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Epsom and Ewell Borough Council Complete online form
Erewash Borough Council Complete online form
Exeter City Council Complete online form
Fareham Borough Council Complete online form
Fenland District Council £150 credited to council tax account
Flintshire County Council Complete online form
Folkestone and Hythe District Council Complete online form
Forest of Dean District Council Complete online form
Fylde Borough Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council Complete online form
Gedling Borough Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Gloucester City Council Complete online form
Gosport Borough Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Gravesham Borough Council Complete online form
Great Yarmouth Borough Council Complete online form
Guildford Borough Council Complete online form
Gwynedd County Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Halton Borough Council Complete online form
Hambleton District Council Complete online form
Harborough District Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Harlow Council Complete online form
Harrogate Borough Council Complete online form
Hart District Council Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
Hartlepool Borough Council Complete online form
Hastings Borough Council Complete online form
Havant Borough Council Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
Herefordshire Council Complete online form
Hertsmere Borough Council Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
High Peak Borough Council Complete online form
Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Horsham District Council Complete online form
Huntingdonshire District Council Complete online form
Hyndburn Borough Council Complete online form
Ipswich Borough Council Complete online form
Isle of Anglesey County Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Isle of Wight Council Complete online form
Isles of Scilly Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council Complete online form
Kingston-upon-Hull City Council Complete online form
Kirklees Council Complete online form
Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Lancaster City Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Leeds City Council Applications closed. Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch or have £150 credited to their council tax account
Leicester City Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Lewes District Council Complete online form
Lichfield District Council Complete online form
Liverpool City Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
London Borough of Barking and Dagenham Complete online form
London Borough of Barnet Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
London Borough of Bexley Eligible households will receive a cheque of £150
London Borough of Brent Complete online form
London Borough of Camden Complete online form
London Borough of Croydon Complete online form
London Borough of Ealing Complete online form
London Borough of Enfield Complete online form
London Borough of Hackney Complete online form
London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham Complete online form
London Borough of Haringey Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
London Borough of Harrow Complete online form
London Borough of Havering Complete online form
London Borough of Hillingdon Complete online form
London Borough of Hounslow Complete online form
London Borough of Islington Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
London Borough of Lambeth Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
London Borough of Lewisham Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
London Borough of Merton Complete online form
London Borough of Newham Complete online form
London Borough of Redbridge Complete online form
London Borough of Richmond upon Thames Complete online form
London Borough of Southwark Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
London Borough of Sutton Complete online form
London Borough of Tower Hamlets Complete online form
London Borough of Waltham Forest Complete online form
London Borough of Wandsworth Complete online form
Luton Borough Council Complete online form
Maidstone Borough Council Complete online form
Maldon District Council Complete online form
Malvern Hills District Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Manchester City Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Mansfield District Council Complete online form
Medway Council Complete online form
Melton Borough Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Mendip District Council Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council Complete online form
Mid Devon District Council Complete online form
Mid Suffolk District Council Complete online form
Mid Sussex District Council Complete online form
Middlesbrough Borough Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Milton Keynes Council Complete online form
Mole Valley District Council Applications closed
Monmouthshire County Council Applications closed. Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Complete online form
New Forest District Council Complete online form
Newark and Sherwood District Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Newcastle-under-Lyme District Council Complete online form
Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Council Complete online form
Newport City Council Complete online form
North Devon Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
North East Derbyshire District Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
North East Lincolnshire Council Complete online form
North Hertfordshire District Council Complete online form
North Kesteven District Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
North Lincolnshire Council Complete online form
North Norfolk District Council Complete online form
North Northamptonshire Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
North Somerset Council Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council Complete online form
North Warwickshire Borough Council Complete online form
North West Leicestershire District Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Northumberland County Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Norwich City Council Complete online form
Nottingham City Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council Complete online form
Oadby and Wigston District Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Oxford City Council Complete online form
Pembrokeshire County Council Complete online form
Pendle Borough Council Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
Peterborough City Council Complete online form
Plymouth City Council Complete online form
Poole (BCP) Council Complete online form
Portsmouth City Council Complete online form
Powys County Council Complete online form
Preston City Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Reading Borough Council Complete online form
Redcar and Cleveland Council Applications paused. Full help on the council's energy rebate page
Redditch Borough Council Complete online form
Reigate & Banstead Borough Council Complete online form
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council Complete online form
Ribble Valley Borough Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Richmondshire District Council Complete online form
Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council Complete online form
Rochford District Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Rossendale Borough Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Rother District Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council Eligible households will receive a cheque of £150
Royal Borough of Greenwich Complete online form
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Complete online form
Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames Complete online form
Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Complete online form
Rugby Borough Council Complete online form
Runnymede Borough Council Complete online form
Rushcliffe Borough Council Complete online form
Rushmoor Borough Council Complete online form
Rutland County Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Ryedale District Council Complete online form
Salford City Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Complete online form
Scarborough Borough Council Complete online form
Sedgemoor District Council Complete online form
Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council Complete online form
Selby District Council Complete online form
Sevenoaks District Council Complete online form
Sheffield City Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Shropshire Council Complete online form
Slough Borough Council Complete online form
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council Complete online form
Somerset West and Taunton Council Complete online form
South Cambridgeshire District Council Complete online form
South Derbyshire District Council Complete online form
South Gloucestershire Council Complete online form
South Hams District Council Applications closed. Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
South Holland District Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
South Kesteven District Council Applications closed. Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
South Lakeland District Council Complete online form
South Norfolk District Council Complete online form
South Oxfordshire District Council Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
South Ribble Borough Council Complete online form
South Somerset District Council Complete online form
South Staffordshire Council Complete online form
South Tyneside Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Southampton City Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Southend-on-Sea Borough Council Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
Spelthorne Borough Council Complete online form
St Albans City and District Council Complete online form
St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council Complete online form
Stafford Borough Council Complete online form
Staffordshire Moorlands District Council Complete online form
Stevenage Borough Council Complete online form
Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council Complete online form
Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council Complete online form
Stoke-on-Trent City Council Complete online form
Stratford-on-Avon District Council Complete online form
Stroud District Council Complete online form
Sunderland City Council Complete online form
Surrey Heath Borough Council Complete online form
Swale Borough Council Complete online form
Swindon Borough Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council Complete online form
Tamworth Borough Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Tandridge District Council Complete online form
Teignbridge District Council Complete online form
Telford & Wrekin Council Complete online form
Tendring District Council Complete online form
Test Valley Borough Council Complete online form
Tewkesbury Borough Council Complete online form
Thanet District Council Complete online form
Three Rivers District Council Complete online form
Thurrock Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council Applications closed and final payments being made. If you think you're eligible but haven't got the rebate, contact the council
Torbay Council Complete online form
Torfaen County Borough Council Applications closed. Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Torridge District Council Complete online form
Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council Complete online form
Uttlesford District Council Complete online form
Vale of Glamorgan Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Vale of White Horse District Council Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
Wakefield Metropolitan District Council Applications closed. £150 to be credited to council tax account if eligible
Walsall Council Complete online form
Warrington Borough Council Complete online form
Warwick District Council Complete online form
Watford Borough Council Complete online form
Waverley Borough Council Complete online form
Wealden District Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Welwyn Hatfield Council Complete online form
West Berkshire Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
West Devon Borough Council Applications closed. Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
West Lancashire Borough Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
West Lindsey District Council Complete online form
West Northamptonshire Council Complete online form
West Oxfordshire District Council Complete online form
West Suffolk Council £150 credited to council tax account
Westminster City Council £150 credited to council tax account
Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council Complete online form
Wiltshire Council Complete online form
Winchester City Council Complete online form
Wirral Council Complete online form
Woking Borough Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Wokingham Borough Council Complete online form
Wolverhampton City Council Complete online form
Worcester City Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Wrexham County Borough Council Complete online form (via link in letter from council)
Wychavon District Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch
Wyre Council £150 credited to council tax account
Wyre Forest District Council Eligible households will receive a Post Office voucher to redeem in branch

If you have accessibility issues or struggle to access the internet, call your council

If you have problems filling out the online forms or redeeming a voucher/cheque at a post office or bank branch due to accessibility issues, contact your council. Each council has alternative ways to help those who may not be able to retrieve the £150 in the conventional way.

You can avoid the rebate paying off any overdraft you may have

Anyone sitting in their overdraft could miss the rebate as it could end up paying off the debt in their accounts – preventing households from ring-fencing the money for essential bills and utility costs.

So if you're worried this could affect you, use the 'first right of appropriation' to prevent your bank from using the £150 cash to pay off your overdraft.

This rule allows you to instruct your bank to ring-fence the cash to help pay off a specific bill or a number of different bills. To set this up you'll need to:

  • Tell your bank that a £150 payment from your council will be landing in your account on a certain date. 
  • Then request how you want the funds to be distributed, for example, to pay off one of your monthly energy bills or a mobile contract.

You can use the charity National Debtline's template letter, which can help you work out what to write to your bank or building society.

Live in bands E to H in England or Scotland (or E to I in Wales)? Check if you're eligible for discretionary funding

If you don't qualify for the main £150 rebate because you don't live in a property in bands A to D, don't worry. Extra cash may be available to you and councils have until November to pay this out – see our council-by-council list to see what help you could get. 

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