BRADFORD Council says only a "small amount" of households are yet to receive their energy tax rebate.

It comes after figures revealed almost 20,000 Bradford households eligible for the £150 payment did not have it by the end of July.

Earlier this year, the Government announced that every household in council tax bands A to D would receive a £150 rebate, as part of a wider package of support to help with the cost-of-living crisis.

These payments started landing in people's bank accounts in April – but new figures from the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities show that 19,086 – or 10 per cent – of the 190,644 eligible households in Bradford were still waiting as of the end of July.

The Council says they have since paid 99.5 per cent of eligible households and those who have not received it will get it via a credit note on their council tax account.

A Bradford Council spokesperson said: “Since the announcement, we have paid 99.5 per cent of eligible households. This figure is in our latest return to the Government, which includes up to the end of August.

"The energy rebate has been delivered in stages.

"For households that paid their council tax by direct debit we were able to pay their rebate directly to their bank account and by the end of May, we had paid 109,000 households.

"In April, we wrote to over 78,000 eligible households who did not pay by direct debit for bank details and by the end of May, we had been able to pay a further 46,000 households direct to their nominated bank account.

"In July, we issued a reminder letter to households who had not replied to us and we have been continuing to pay the rebate as claims have been made to us. 

“For the small number of eligible households who have not replied, the payment will now be made as a credit note on their council tax account, ensuring that no one loses out."

The Government has also pledged £144m in 'discretionary funds' to help those not covered by the main rebate scheme or to provide further support to those who are.

The spokesperson added: “We were allocated £1,503,600 from this fund.

"Of this, 82.71 per cent has been spent to support 46,488 households.

"We are confident that the deadline for the full spend to be issued (November 30) will be met.”