Millions missing out on £1,300 by not claiming entitlement

More than 2 million households are said to be missing out

Average savings from the scheme, which reduces the amount of council tax a given household is required to pay, amount to £1300 each year.

Not everyone applying should expect to receive the full amount however, as it can be dependent on a series of variables.

Each council operates its own separate scheme, so the amount of saving depends entirely on on the location of the claimant.

Per Money Saving Expert, the scheme could potentially reduce council tax bills by up to 100%, which could make a massive difference for struggling households ahead of the winter.

The scheme is said to be open regardless of whether the claimant owns their home or rents.

While each local authority has its own rules, the common factors that will decide eligibility are income, the number of people in a household, and residency status.

The main reason that so much of the funding has been left unclaimed is because it isn't applied automatically.

Those that are unaware of the scheme's existence, no matter how eligible, will continue to be left without support until they make an application to their local authority.

The Mirror reached out to Citizens Advice who made clear how important it is to make an application as soon as possible.

Their spokesperson said: "If you're eligible for CTR, it's best to apply as soon as you can.

"You can apply early if you know when you're going to be eligible. If you apply early, you won't have to wait as long to get CTR when you become eligible."

In some cases, it may even be possible to receive a backdated payment, if you had a valid reason for not applying sooner.

Best practice is to reach out to the necessary local authority as soon as possible to check their eligibility requirements.