People struggling to pay their bills as the cost of living crisis continues to bite have been urged to seek help.

Hundreds of thousands of people across Norfolk have received their £150 council tax rebate.

Councils have been paying the rebate, announced by Rishi Sunak when he was chancellor to help combat the cost of living crisis.

While householders in council tax bands A to D - and people in band E who get disabled band reduction - qualified automatically, councils also have the power to award discretionary payments.

South Norfolk and Broadland councils are urging people to apply for those payments - and people who have already had payments could be entitled to more money if they are struggling to pay bills.

Residents in Broadland and South Norfolk not eligible for a payment under the core scheme - such as those in bands E and above - will be considered for support via that discretionary fund if they fall into various categories.

The categories include people in receipt of an income related benefit, care leavers, veterans or those on the council-held list for Warm Homes help.

And people, who can satisfy they have gross household earnings of less than the minimum income standards earnings level, can also apply.

The third category is people who can satisfy the council they have current or imminent fuel hardship.

Lindsay Sayer, housing and benefits manager at South Norfolk and Broadland councils, said the councils need to distribute the money they were given by the government by November, so people should apply now.

She said: "Because of the cost of living increases, we know some people are already struggling to pay their bills and we know that will get worse over the winter.

"It's important that people are thinking about that now, while the money is available.

"We can help with people who did not get payments, but want to make clear people who did get payments might be eligible for top ups."

People in South Norfolk and Broadland can find out how to apply at southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk.

Other Norfolk councils have discretionary payment schemes and details are available on their websites.