£150 cost of living payments already reach over 330,000 households

MORE than £50m has been provided to Welsh households to help tackle the cost of living crisis, through a £150 cost of living payment that has already reached 332,710 homes.

The payments started in April and more people will be receiving their £150 in the coming weeks.

The £152m scheme is being delivered by local authorities on behalf of the Welsh Government. The support is being provided 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.

Payments will be made as a single payment directly into people’s bank accounts if the local authority holds that information. Where this information is not held, eligible households will need to complete a simple registration form. Local authorities will contact all eligible households to ask for the necessary details.

Separately, 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.

Rebecca Evans, Minister for Finance and Local Government, 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.

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 £150 cost of living payment is part of a wider support package worth £380m, which is also providing help including winter fuel payments and emergency support through the Discretionary Assistance Fund.

Jane Hutt, Minister for Social Justice, added:

“We’ve been working closely with partner organisations to provide targeted support to help people deal with the cost of living crisis. I know people will be worried and it’s important for everyone to know that support is available. The ‘Claim what’s yours’ campaign helps people know what help is out there, and would be a great first port of call for anyone unsure about what they’re entitled to.”