MORE than 11,000 households did not claim their council tax rebate, figures have revealed.

Colchester Council's scrutiny panel heard 52,706 of the potential 64,175 properties in Colchesters had received their payments.

However, that meant 11,469 eligible Colchester properties did not initally claim their council tax rebate of £150 - a total of £1,720,350 of unclaimed rebates in Colchester, since February.

The majority of the payments which have been made were to those paying council tax by direct debit.

Those who did not have their account details registered, as they aren't paying via direct debit, did not receive their rebate in the first wave.

In order to collect the bank details for those who are not currently paying by direct debit, the council created an online form.

In total, 7,300 forms were completed, with 5,500 requesting payment to a bank account and 1,800 Colchester households requesting a credit on the account.

Councillor Paul Smith raised concerns the detailed verification process meant some people were unable to claim the money.

Prior to payment, the applications must be checked and verified extensively, including the use of the Government's Spotlight tool.

This lengthy process led to a number of applications requiring intervention.

Of the 7,300 forms processed more than 2,000 were rejected during the verification process, with 3,325 having now been paid.

Mr Smith said: “I think it’s concerning the system is so hard for people to navigate and to get the vital money that they are entitled to.

“The assumption that everyone has access to an online form to start with is disappointing.

"It's disappointing the Government didn’t consider that some may not have access when they introduced the system.

“I feel that those who cannot pay by direct debit are likely to be in the greater financial difficulty, they are the very people who are missing out on this benefit.

“We have written to everyone to spread awareness and will attempt to make a second contact in order to further spread awareness.

“We are talking about a lot of money that could be in the Colchester economy.”

The scheme ends in September, so the council is working extensively to ensure people receive their payment.