Welsh ministers call on UK government to tackle cost of living

With growing concerns over the cost of living crisis, Welsh ministers are calling for action from the UK government to ease the burden on families across Wales.

The Welsh government has introduced measures to support low-income families, including the £51m Household Support Fund that was launched to offset the impact of the removal of the £20 Universal Credit uplift.

The Fund has seen £2m allocated for homelessness prevention, £38m to help households pay winter fuel bills, and £1.1m to tackle food poverty.

Minister for Social Justice Jane Hutt said: ‘Energy bills are at an all-time high, food costs are mounting and inflation is climbing to its highest rate in a decade. Families across Wales are feeling the strain on their household budgets.

‘On top of these extraordinary times, the situation is made worse by the callous decisions of the UK Government. The last UK Budget announcement was an opportunity to address these concerns, an opportunity to ease the pressure over the tough winter period, but unfortunately it was an opportunity that was missed.

‘Where Westminster has failed to support families, the Welsh Government has stepped in to back our communities through this challenging period.’

The Minister for Social Justice announced that she will be holding a roundtable discussion with key stakeholders and ministers on 17 February to determine what more can be done to support households across Wales who are at risk of financial harm.

The Minister for Climate Change Julie James added: ‘As we outlined in our letter to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, we have serious concerns about the increase in domestic energy prices and the impact this is having on households in Wales, particularly lower income households at risk of, or already living in, fuel poverty prior to the increase that came into effect in October.

‘As part of the UK Government’s Energy Retail Market Strategy we’re calling on the Secretary of State to give serious consideration to the introduction of a differentiated domestic energy tariff cap or social energy tariff targeted to better support lower income households. A lower cap set to safeguard lower income households against unaffordable price increases will ensure the most vulnerable in our society can maintain a satisfactory heating regime.

‘We’re also urging the UK Government to provide additional support, through schemes such as the Warm Home Discount and other winter fuel payments this winter to lessen the burden on hard pressed families.’

In related news, the evolution of Britain’s welfare state leaves it providing a ‘weak safety net’ that sees people fall into poverty and provides little protection for people whose jobs are threatened by economic change, finds new research by the Resolution Foundation.

Photo supplied by the Welsh Government