Martin Lewis has explained how households can make sure they don't miss out on £150 council tax rebate.
The MoneySavingExpert founder said the cash has already started arriving for some eligible homes who pay by direct debit.
Those who pay by direct debit are receiving the money automatically, as your council has you bank account details on file.
The council tax rebate scheme is available to homes in England, Wales and Scotland and will be handed out to millions of families.
In each devolved nation, the one-off £150 payment will apply to homes in council tax bands A, B, C or D.
In Scotland, you'll also qualify if you're eligible for council tax reductions.
“Anybody in a band A to D council tax property should be expecting - some may have already had - a £150 rebate towards energy bills,” said Martin on ITV ’s This Morning earlier this week.
“They did it via council tax as that’s a household bill and energy is a household bill.”
Have you received your £150 council tax rebate yet? Let us know: mirror.money.saving@mirror.co.uk
Mr Lewis continued: “If you’re in England you usually get the £150 paid into your bank account if you pay council tax by direct debit.
“Which is why people who pay by direct debit should be checking if it’s in their bank account.”
If you don’t pay by direct debit, then you’ll need to manually apply for the £150 payment through your local authority.
Your council should contact you with more information about how to apply this month.
“What your council will likely do is write to you explaining how to claim the rebate," said Martin.
He added: "If you don’t then claim a rebate they will likely give it to you as a rebate on your bill.”
Martin also urged Brits to be aware of a council tax rebate scam doing the rounds, with fraudsters using the government scheme as an opportunity to target vulnerable people.
The Local Government Association (LGA), a cross-party membership body for local authorities, says councils will never ask for bank details over the phone.
A number of councils including Durham and Southwark have already issued warnings to residents, telling them to be wary of scam phone calls.
Martin added: “If anybody calls you up about this £150 rebate and is asking for your bank account details they are scammers!”
In any circumstance, if you're not sure the caller is genuine, hang up and phone the company directly using the contact number on its website.
