Families struggling to pay their energy bills may have to wait for months to get their £150 council tax rebate.

In February, the government announced that homes across England in Council Tax Bands A to D would secure the one-off payment from their local authority from this month.

The measure is part of the £9.1 billion Energy Bills Rebate package announced by the government to help households with rising energy bills.

The Local Government Association had previously said households eligible for a £150 energy rebate payment might receive the money quickly if they had set up direct debits to pay their council tax.

However, councils now report ‘technical issues’ that could delay the whole process.

In a statement, South Derbyshire District Council said: “We are waiting for software updates before we can deliver the £150 energy rebate.

“If you have already paid a Council Tax instalment by direct debit this year and live in a band A to D property, we hope your energy rebate will be paid into your bank by early June.”

David Hill, Director of Corporate Resources at Bassetlaw District Council, said: “Payments will begin to be made to Bassetlaw residents from the beginning of May and if you already pay by Direct Debit, this process should be swift and straight forward.

“For residents who pay by other means, or in situations where the payment arrangements and the people registered at addresses do not match, or the circumstances may be a little more complex, we will process these as quickly as possible.”

Mr Hill added that the schedule for payments has been influenced by the council receiving guidance from the government and updating systems with new software to enable large amounts of rebates to take place.