- Expert group meet for first time to design a pilot providing
£10 a week to up to 15,000 children in Universal Credit
households.
- Members will help design and test the scheme to make sure it
works well for families and makes a real difference to children's
lives.
- Establishing the expert group delivers a key first 100 days
commitment.
The Welsh Government has moved a step closer to delivering
Cynnal, its £10 weekly child payment, as the expert group
responsible for shaping the scheme met for the first time today.
The Cynnal pilot will provide £10 a week to up to 15,000 children
in households claiming Universal Credit, across a limited number
of local authority areas.
Co-chaired by the Deputy First Minister, the expert group brings
together a wealth of knowledge from academia, research, frontline
services and Welsh Government. The group will advise on the
design, implementation and evaluation of the pilot, ensuring it
is informed by evidence, professional expertise and lived
experience of poverty.
At today's meeting, members discussed the pilot's objectives and
the target age range.
Deputy First Minister Sioned said: "Too many families
in Wales are struggling with the pressures of rising costs and
insecure work. We are committed to tackling the injustice of
child poverty and have made it a core government priority. That's
why we are moving to begin developing the Cynnal payment, which
is designed to make a real, practical difference to children's
lives.
I'm proud to have brought together such a
strong group of experts, and I look forward to working with them
to design a pilot that is effective, deliverable, and genuinely
reflects the experiences of the families we're here to support."
Co-chair of the expert panel and
CEO of the Bevan Foundation, Steffan Evans
said: A Welsh Child Payment would be a powerful
lever to address child poverty. I am therefore delighted that the
work of establishing the Cynnal pilot is now underway. I look
forward to working with other members of the group to ensure that
the pilot works as effectively as possible, something that would
be a major step forward in tackling child poverty in Wales.
Ahead of the meeting, the Deputy First Minister visited - Ely and
Caerau Children's Centre in Cardiff, a partner of Save the
Children Cymru, to hear from staff about the impact of rising
costs on the children and families they support.
Expert group member and Senior
Policy and Research Manager at Save the Children Cymru Mari
,said: We
know from listening to children how deeply poverty affects
children's lives, not only limiting access to essentials but also
shaping children's relationships, opportunities and wellbeing. A
weekly child payment would make a very real difference - helping
families to meet basic needs, enabling children to take part in
childhood activities that would otherwise be out of reach, and
supporting children to thrive.
Notes to editors
Members of the expert group include:
- Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Social
Justice and Equality, Sioned (co-chair)
- Dr Steffan Evans, Chief Executive, Bevan Foundation
(co-chair)
- Chris Birt, Associate Director for Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland, Foundation
- Mari , Senior Policy and Research
Manager, Save the Children Cymru
- Sharon Davies, Welsh Local Government Association
- Dr Mike Brewer, Deputy Chief Executive, Resolution
Foundation
Costs for the pilot will be considered as part of the Welsh
Government's Autumn budget discussions.
