, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
I just want to particularly look at the issues for local authorities that you've raised, because this has been a real challenge for them in terms of housing and how we can support them. In terms of homelessness, the use of temporary accommodation at the…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Diolch yn fawr, Sioned Williams. Thank you for acknowledging the huge challenge, but also the responsibilities that we have to get this right in terms of the way in which we provide our support. As I said in my statement on the supersponsor scheme, we…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
So, if we turn to our supersponsor route, which is the route that we are pausing just for these few weeks, we actually had 6,016 submitted applications. They transferred into 4,808 confirmed applications, and 3,435 visas have been issued under our…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Diolch yn fawr, Mark Isherwood. Thank you very much for all your very helpful questions. Obviously, every time we meet, there are new figures—new figures to update from last week, when I issued my written statement. But, just to update you, as of 14 June, in…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Update on Ukraine
Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd, for giving us another opportunity to provide an update to Members about our ongoing work to support people from Ukraine seeking sanctuary in Wales. When I last updated you almost a month ago, Wales had welcomed just over 1,120…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Cost-of-living Update
Diolch yn fawr. That's a really important point. I'm sure the Minister for Climate Change is already aware of that, concerns again coming from Citizens Advice, our single advice providers, and unless it's absolutely clear and mandated that it goes to the…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Cost-of-living Update
Of course, as we've said, and as we know—and the Minister for Climate Change is with us this afternoon and engaged with all of these discussions—it's a cross-government responsibility in terms of tackling the cost-of-living crisis, with housing providers…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Cost-of-living Update
Thank you very much for your very important question.
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Cost-of-living Update
Well, thank you very much, Mike Hedges. You graphically describe what it is like to be poor, and it is more expensive to be poor in every aspect of life, and how cruel that is, in terms of food, heating, housing. So, thanks for welcoming many of the measures…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Cost-of-living Update
People who are struggling as a result of the cost-of-living crisis obviously can turn to their single advice fund providers, and I will go on to the discretionary assistance fund as well, because, obviously, that's already in place. I think it is important…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Cost-of-living Update
Diolch yn fawr, Sioned Williams. Yes, you clearly identify, as I have done, the scale of the crisis—inflation now at its highest level since March 1982, when it stood at 9.1 per cent; April's rise, driven by energy costs, increased by more than 50 per cent by…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Cost-of-living Update
Thank you very much, Mark Isherwood. I would be very surprised, as chair of the cross-party group on fuel poverty, if you did not recognise the deepening of the cost-of-living crisis and the failure of the UK Government to address these issues with their tax…
, Plenary
Statement by the Minister for Social Justice: Cost-of-living Update
Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, for the opportunity to update Members today about the deepening cost-of-living crisis, which is being acutely felt by the most vulnerable, by disabled people and by lower income households. Over the last week, we've seen further…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Diolch yn fawr. It's a really important question. I think you will recall a powerful exchange between the First Minister and Ken Skates a few weeks ago about the impact of fuel poverty, and the fact that people may be self-disconnecting in terms of…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Our Warm Homes programme for lower income households saves an average of £300 a year by improving energy efficiency. Eligible working-age households are also benefiting from a £200 winter fuel support payment, and a £150 cost-of-living payment is being made…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much for that question and key points, which I'm sure would be shared across this Chamber in terms of the huge commitment—and I made this point in my statement—the huge commitment of those sponsor families, opening up their homes, as I said…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Around 2,000 Ukrainians have now arrived in Wales under the Homes for Ukraine scheme. Around 500 of these have been sponsored by the Welsh Government. Guidance for local authorities and sponsors as well as our Sanctuary website for Ukrainians are available…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Diolch, Delyth Jewell. Your role and your experience of working in Citizens Advice are very valuable, and it's useful to have that particular focus on how we can move through the pandemic to recovery and back to the face-to-face, which we know is very…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Welsh Government has a long-standing commitment to supporting advice services so we can be confident some of the most vulnerable people in our society have access to advice on debt and welfare benefit issues. The services they provide are a lifeline for many…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you, Altaf Hussain. I've just mentioned ways in which we are specifically focusing on the needs of older people, particularly with the national benefit take-up campaign, but also by ensuring, as I meet with the older people's commissioner, Age Cymru and…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Well, Mike Hedges, you make crucial points and provide evidence of why we do need that increase, from the UK Government, in terms of state pensions. That needs to be not just supplemented but uprated. I mean, we have the situation in terms of all benefits…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Age Cymru reports the cost-of-living crisis will increase the percentage of net income that pensioners spend on essential goods and services from 58 per cent in 2021-22 to 73 per cent this financial year. Older people are a priority group for single advice…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you very much, Ken Skates, and can I thank you for the support that you gave in your former role, not just for the network of disabled employment ambassadors, supported by the economy Minister, but also for developing that crucial economic contract…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
Thank you so much for that question, Natasha Asghar, because this is the key aim of our disabled people's employment champions—we've got a new network who help raise awareness amongst employers of flexible working opportunities. They are disabled people who…
, Plenary
Questions to the Minister for Social Justice
I continue to discuss with my ministerial colleagues our shared commitment to strengthening the rights of disabled people. Our work is underpinned by the social model of disability and the disability taskforce established to respond to the 'Locked Out' report…
