Oldham Council says it is working to get rebates out – but residents must act by the deadline to get their £150 cash rebate.
If residents are eligible and have not yet received the £150 council tax energy rebate, letters are on their way, the local authority has said.
In response to rising energy prices, the government announced earlier this year that households in Council Tax bands A to D would receive a one-off £150 rebate between April and September.
According to the council, most Oldham residents who pay by direct debit have already received their payments.
Working with the Post Office, the council have started to send barcoded letters to eligible households who don’t pay by direct debit, and to the small number of Direct Debit residents where the council has been unable to make a payment directly into their bank account.
The council is urging residents to look out for and look after the letter which contains a special barcode that can be used to collect the £150 in cash from any post office branch.
Most letters will be posted by Friday, July 1.
However, the council says it is still reviewing some accounts that have had changes since April 1 to make sure that letters are sent to the correct person at the correct address.
These letters should be sent by July 20.
Cllr Abdul Jabbar MBE, deputy leader of Oldham Council and cabinet member for finance, said: “With the cost of living rising, I know how important this payment is to our residents.
“Officers have been working incredibly hard over the last few months to ensure we could issue rebates to eligible households as quickly and as smoothly as possible.
“We’ve upgraded our systems to help with this and to make sure that transactions didn’t fail like many other councils experienced.
“With the final letters now being sent out to residents, I urge those eligible who have not yet received the rebate to keep an eye out for a letter from the council containing important instructions and a barcode that they can use to collect the £150 cash directly from the Post Office.”
Deadline to get your cash rebate
When you receive your letter, all the person named on the letter needs to do is go to their local post office by August 31 with one valid form of identification.
This can be a passport, photo driving licence, bank or building society statement (less than three months old), or a gas, electric, or water utility bill (less than six months old).
Oldham Council says residents who do not have one of the above-named forms of identification should call on 0161 770 6622 for support.
Any vouchers not redeemed by the Post Office closing time on August 31 will be cancelled with the credit being added to the resident’s council tax account in September instead.
Most households in Council Tax bands A to D qualify for the rebate if they were occupied as a sole or main residence on April 1.
If you’re eligible for this payment, you won’t be required to pay it back and the rebate will not be treated as income for tax or benefit purposes.
The council is warning residents to be aware of fraud, and has said it will not be calling anyone to ask for bank details.
For more details about the Council Tax Energy Rebate please see the government's council tax energy rebate information leaflet or Oldham Council’s website.
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