3. 2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:25 pm on 11 July 2017.

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Photo of Joyce Watson Joyce Watson Labour 2:25, 11 July 2017

Leader of the house, I’d like a statement on discretionary housing payments, please. Figures from Shelter Cymru have clearly shown that £100,000 of this money, which was there specifically to help people whose housing benefit didn’t cover the cost of their rent, was sent back by local authorities to Westminster last year. Five councils, three of those in my constituency, did account for 75 per cent of the money returned; they were Carmarthen, Gwynedd and Ceredigion. That is in stark contrast to other councils, including Torfaen, Monmouthshire, Cardiff, Vale of Glamorgan, and Anglesey, who spent all of the allocation and, as is the case with Torfaen, it was boosted with some of their own funds. The discretionary housing payment fund is extremely important in helping those who are struggling with their rent to be able to stay in their home and to stop them from becoming either evicted or homeless. So, I’m keen therefore to understand if the Welsh Government has had any discussions whatsoever with the local authorities regarding this money being sent back, to understand why it is that some councils can not only spend the allocation but add to it, while others are, in my opinion, completely failing their tenants.