Seeing the signatory, I suspect there was something of a political motive there, coinciding with this debate.

However, as I said, arrears have fallen for those on universal credit by a third after four months. However, it has always been recognised that although most people on low incomes manage their money and want to, some will need extra support, which is why the UK Government issued the universal credit local support services framework in February 2013, developed between the Department for Work and Pensions and partners, including the Welsh Local Government Association.

This ensures that claimants who are not yet ready to budget for themselves on a monthly basis or are unable to use the internet are protected and assisted onto the new system. But, claimants who have debt problems or other vulnerabilities, such as poor numeracy skills, substance abuse or mental health issues, are given practical support at the onset of their claim through a network of local services, and alternative payment arrangements will be available to help claimants who need additional support, paying housing costs directly to landlords, making more frequent than monthly payments to help with budgeting, and splitting payments between partners where there is financial abuse. That is what the public sector in Wales has been signed up to, supposedly for four and a half years, and this now comes under the banner of universal support.

As I highlighted in this Chamber four years ago, DWP officials have been working with all the devolved administrations since March 2012 on plans for universal credit roll-out, alongside the framework with local government, including the WLGA, and we must therefore ask the Welsh Government why universal support isn’t operating better in Wales.