Households will have to wait until September for a £150 tax refund amid rising bills

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said the council’s tax refund would hit Brits’ accounts from April, but some councilors suggested some payments could be delayed until September

Brits will have to wait six months for a £150 council tax refund as they struggle to cope with the cost of living crisis.

According to Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement in February, the one-off cash payment should be credited to the families’ accounts from April 1.

However, few local authorities have paid out the rebate to eligible residents who are required to reside in properties under council tax bands A through D.

Some councils have even suggested delaying payments until September, leaving families with a dilemma as they try to meet soaring energy bills.

North Tyneside Council hinted some discounts may not come through until September, The telegraph reports.

Colchester Council also warned that payments for some people may not come until September.

Hastings Council said taxpayers would have to wait until the end of May for their money.

In some cases, the wait time is due to software systems struggling to make the payments all at once.

Some municipalities set up schemes for households that do not pay council tax by direct debit because they cannot receive the refund automatically.

A Colchester Council spokesman said: “Each local authority had to design a process that lists all eligible recipients and designates a means of payment.

“They need to create their own verification process to avoid paying the rebate more than once or to an ineligible household.

“By waiting for our software developer to give us a bulk payment option, we have the best opportunity to avoid errors and fraud and provide an easily accessible audit trail.”

But the taxpayers’ association blamed “unnecessary bureaucratic busywork” for the delays.

The Chancellor previously unveiled a package to help families cope with rising energy bills after regulator Ofgem announced a 54% hike in energy price caps from April 1.

His package included a council tax refund of £150 from April and a £200 rebate on autumn energy bills, which will be reclaimed in installments over five years from 2023.

Municipalities have until September 30 to pay the rebate, according to MoneySavingExpert.

However, Labor MP Chris Bryant called Mr Sunak’s support package “puny”.

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He added: “350 pounds will not touch the pages for my constituents in the Rhondda.

“Gas and electricity are up £686 for the average family in my constituency. Refuel at £314. The average weekly purchase has increased by £385.

“Universal Credit has been cut by £1,040. Social security increased by £150. And frozen tax breaks from him cost a further £300.

“That’s £2,875 in a constituency where the median wage is £27,000. This is really going to cause trouble. £350 isn’t even enough.”