More than 3 million households in England and Wales were still waiting to receive the £150 energy rebate on 1 July, research has found, several months after the scheme to help pay for soaring gas and electricity bills was launched.
The payment was part of a package of measures announced by the government in February, and is being paid out by councils.
The government said the rebate should be paid “as soon as possible from April”, although councils have until the end of September to do so.
Halfway through that window, 97% of households in England and Wales who pay their council tax via direct debit had received the payment, according to data from a freedom of information request seen by the BBC.
However, only half of people who pay their council tax in different ways had received the rebate.
The Guardian has found that households most in need of the money – including those who pay their bill through benefits, or people who are exempt from paying council tax – were facing the longest waits.
Charities have warned that some of the poorest and most vulnerable in society were the most likely to encounter difficulties receiving the money.
Some local authorities have not revealed how or when they will pay the money to people who do not pay their council tax through direct debit.
The energy rebate is available to people living in properties in council tax bands A to D, and up to E if a member of the household has a disability. Research has also shown geographic discrepancies in the number of households who have received the payment.
Fewer than half of eligible households in Liverpool had received their rebate by 1 July.
The scheme has been arranged differently in Scotland, where councils are typically crediting the rebate to eligible residents’ accounts so they pay a smaller bill each month.
About 3,000 households in Scotland were waiting for the payment on 1 July, according to the BBC’s research. In Northern Ireland, the assembly received an equivalent sum of money to administer locally.
People who pay their council tax by direct debit will receive the government’s energy support payments paid directly into their bank accounts.
However, councils often have to use other methods, including cheques, vouchers and council tax credit, to get the money to people who pay in other ways.
Charities and campaigners have also warned that customers with older prepayment meters will struggle to receive payments from the government’s energy bills support scheme payments, which will total £400 for each household in Great Britain.
These customers will receive an energy bill discount voucher each month by text, email or in the post to be redeemed in person at their usual top-up point, such as a newsagent or post office. Charities said such messages could be missed and the redemption process added an extra obstacle for vulnerable people.