- Welsh Government wants welfare decisions for people in Wales
made in Wales
- Easier access to existing Welsh benefits is already helping
more people get support
- Cynnal pilot will test a child payment and build case for
powers to roll it out
Families in Wales could get help designed around their needs , if
the Welsh Government secures powers over welfare.
The Welsh Government is calling on the UK Government to devolve
more welfare powers and will bring forward a clear plan on how
this should be done.
In an oral statement to the Senedd, the Deputy First Minister set
out the plan for a fairer and more compassionate Welsh Welfare
System, so that decisions affecting people in Wales are made in
Wales.
Where Wales already makes the decisions, families are seeing the
benefit.
The Welsh Government has now rolled out the first phase of its
universal childcare offer, with 12.5 hours of funded childcare on
offer for all two-year-olds in 19 out of 22 local authorities.
This is helping to reduce costs for families, addressing poverty
and supporting people into work.
Going forward, the Cynnal Child Payment pilot - a direct weekly
payment to families with young children on Universal Credit in
selected local authority areas - will show how families can
benefit from the Welsh Government's existing powers while
building the case for a wider rollout through additional powers.
The Welsh Government continues to call on the UK Government to
ensure the Cynnal payment does not reduce recipients' entitlement
to other benefits.
Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social
Justice and Equality said:
"Poverty rates in Wales are among the highest in the UK and this
level of hardship needs meaningful action, but too often the key
levers rest with the UK Government.
"Welfare decisions for Wales should be made in Wales. To be able
to build a fairer and more compassionate welfare system one that
better reflects our needs and values requires Wales to have
greater control over the welfare decisions that affect the lives
of our citizens.
"The Scottish Child Payment has made a tangible difference to
child poverty in Scotland and this is something we want to do
here in Wales through our Cynnal Child Payment pilot,
but this requires assurances from the UK Government that they
would not penalise those who receive the payment low-income
families, with young children, who need it most.
"Having the ability to design solutions such as Cynnal that meet
the needs of communities in Wales is why we must keep making the
case for devolving welfare powers."
In the meantime, the Welsh Government is working with local
government and others to make Welsh benefits easier to claim.
These include the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, free school meals
and Healthy Start Vouchers.
