A council has apologised after a glitch in its IT system has left residents still waiting for their £150 council tax rebate. 

Harrow Council said the payments had been delayed due to a “technical error” and that it was “testing a software” to try and speed up the process. 

The council tax rebate scheme is intended to ease the burden of rising energy costs across the UK. 

Most council tax payers living in Band A, B, C and D properties will be eligible for the £150 tax break, which will be a one-off payment. 

In a statement, Harrow Council said: “We apologise for the delay in issuing payments to eligible council tax payers. 

“The administration of council tax energy rebate payments is much more complex than may initially appear and as a result, we have not yet been able to commence issuing payments.”

The council hopes to have an update on the situation “early this week” depending on the success of the new software. 

It added it would be unable to respond to individual queries on payments timescales “due to the significant volume of cases concerned”. 

Those eligible who pay their council tax by direct debit will see the rebate automatically paid into their bank accounts. 

People who do not pay by direct debit, or cases where the name on the council tax bill differs to that from the bank account supplied, will be subject to extra checks from the council. 

It hopes to have the bulk of these checks and payments completed by the end of June. 

The council explained this is a “requirement” from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. 

The rebate was announced by chancellor Rishi Sunak in February amid growing concerns around the rising cost of energy in the UK. 

Mr Sunak said: “Right now, I know the number one issue on people’s minds is the rising cost of living.

“That’s why the government is stepping in with direct support that will help around 28 million households with their rising energy costs over the next year.

“We stood behind British people and businesses throughout the pandemic and it’s right we continue to do that as our economy recovers in the months ahead.”