Estimated 34,000 Rotherham households don’t have Direct Debit set up to receive £150 energy support payments

Households across the country in band A-D properties will receive an automatic rebate of £150 to help them with rising energy costs from the government, via their local council.

For those with Direct Debits set up to pay their council tax, the money will be deposited in their account.

But residents who pay their council tax through other means such as cash or cheque may face a delay and an application process.

In Rotherham, the council estimates that they do not have the direct debit details of 34,000 households, which makes up 28 per cent of all households in the borough.

Councillor Shaun Davies, Chair of the Local Government Associations’s Resources Board warned that it could take longer for households without a Direct Debit to receive their rebate.

Councillor Davies said: “This year will be tougher than most, particularly for those on lower incomes, so it is good that the Government is stepping in to provide financial support to help ease these pressures.

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“You can still get the money if you don’t have a direct debit set up, but it could take longer as your council will have to contact you and then you’ll have to make a claim.

Judith Badger, Rotherham Council’s strategic director of finance and Customer services, said: “We received the Government’s guidance on the Council Tax Rebate scheme on the 23 February and we are currently working through the requirements to assess how it might best administer the scheme.

“We estimate that around 34 thousand households in Band A-D properties do not pay their Council Tax via a Direct Debit. This equates to around 28 per cent of the properties in the borough.

“The council promotes the use of Direct Debit payments via the council website, on council tax bills that are issued to households and in conversations our teams have with customers. However, payment by Direct Debit is not the preferred method for many customers, dependant on their individual financial circumstances.

“The Government’s guidance does not restrict households that are not set up to pay by Direct Debit from receiving the rebate and councils will need to establish a process by which those households can be paid once the guidance has been fully reviewed.”