Plaid Cymru Deputy First Minister Sioned will use her speech to the SNP's
annual conference today (Friday 16 October 2026) to highlight how
Scotland's approach to tackling child poverty is inspiring the
Welsh Government's plans for a new child payment.
With nearly one in three children in Wales living in poverty,
SionedWilliams MS will point to the Scottish Government's
Scottish Child Payment asa successfulexample of the difference
that direct financial support can make to families, with Scotland
beingthe only UK nation where child poverty is falling.
Taking inspiration from the Scottish scheme, the Plaid Cymru
Welsh Government is developing Cynnal, a direct child payment
that would initially provide £10 a week for children aged 0-6 in
households claiming Universal Credit.
To implement Cynnal, the Plaid Cymru Welsh Government is urging
the UK Government to ensure the payment does not reduce families'
entitlement to other benefits or face deductions through income
tax.
Alongside Plaid Cymru's pressure on the UK Government to allow
Cynnal to go ahead, Sioned MS will highlightboth
parties'cooperation in fighting to improve the lives of the
peoplethey representby standing up to Westminster.
Addressing SNP delegates, Sioned MS is expected to say:
Plaid Cymru and the SNP share the belief that no child's life
should be limited by poverty. Taking inspiration from the SNP's
Scottish Child Payment, we are piloting our own direct child
payment, Cynnal.
We have to pilot first, because we don't yet have the same powers
as Scotland over welfare. But we want to be able to show, as the
SNP has, the difference that such a payment can make to the
unacceptably high levels of child poverty we have in Wales.
The biggest obstacle to delivering Cynnal now stands not in
Wales, but in Westminster.
I call on the UK Government again today to work with us and help
us make a real difference to the lives of children of Wales, and
I thank the SNP Scottish Government for lighting our path and
adding their voice to ours in that call for action on child
poverty.
Our alliance draws strength from each nation's experience and
from our shared determination to build fairer societies.
Together, we make the voices of Wales and Scotland heard in
Westminster and around the world.
