MORE than 332,000 households have recieved the £150 cost of living payment from their local council, the Welsh Government has said.

The cash is being paid to all households in properties in council tax bands A to D, and all households which receive support from the Council Tax Reduction Scheme regardless of their council tax band.

Local authorities will contact eligible households regarding arrangements for making the £150 payments and there is no need for households to submit a claim for the payments.

If the council holds an individuals's bank details the money will transferred in full, in a single payment, directly into people’s accounts otherwise people will need to register for the payment, and the council should contact them to ask for the necessary details.

Rebecca Evans, the Welsh Government's finance and local government minister, said: "This payment is providing much needed relief to Welsh households, helping people cope with increasingly challenging circumstances.

“Rising bills and rising prices will stretch budgets and force people into difficult decisions. This £150 payment is one of the ways in which we are alleviating some of that pressure.

“Welsh councils have responded quickly to this crisis and I want to thank them for their efforts in getting this scheme up and running."

READ MORE: People in Wales more at risk of dying in poverty than any other UK nation

The £150 payment was made possible after extra money was released to the Welsh Government when the UK Government announced a council tax rebate, of the same amount, for homes in bands A to D in England.

Payments started in April and the Welsh Government says the latest figure is that 332,710 households have received the money.

The Welsh Government is also providing a £25m discretionary fund to local authorities. This will allow councils to help people they consider to be in need of assistance, providing discretionary support as deemed appropriate to address local needs.

The £150 scheme is costing the Welsh Govermnet £152m but Evans said further support would require the intervention of the Westminster government.

The Conservative adminstration has previously suggested it may be able to consider further support in the autumn and ministers have been stressing they are considering ways to reduce the cost of living.

Labour minister Evans said: "We’ll continue to do everything we can to provide support, but many of the key levers for change – most importantly welfare support – lie in Westminster. The UK Government needs to join us in providing a full crisis response, providing urgent support to people.”

The Welsh Government also has a 'claim what's yours' campaign intended to help people know what benefits and support they are entitled to. There is a dedicated Welsh Government website giving further information which can be found by clicking here.