Liverpool City Council is investigating a potential data breach after 10,000 letters were issued incorrectly for energy rebates.

An apology was issued today as the investigation started to discover that some 10,000 letters were sent to homes across Liverpool outlining how to claim as part of the energy bills rebate scheme, which began earlier this year. While these letters predominantly contained the correct details, the problem was that names registered were incorrect.

The majority of the households involved do not pay their bills by direct debit and use other methods, such as standing orders for this.

The rebate offered eligible households £150 extra towards their bills due to the rising costs, as part of a scheme funded at £32m.

The Council has apologised for any inconvenience caused and is working to rectify the issue as soon as possible. This will involve contacting all those affected by the error and sending out replacement letters, though a representative also shared that it should not be possible for anyone to falsely claim a rebate via the information leaked in these letters due to the fact that they “undertake identity and bank account checks before making a payment”.

A statement said: “We are very sorry that this has happened. We will work as fast as we can to ensure that the funds are deposited in residents’ accounts as quickly as possible.”

The Local Democracy Reporting Service has announced that a new letter will be sent out from Friday with advice to destroy the original and reminder on how you can apply for your energy rebate online.