Universal Credit

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:16 pm on 12 January 2021.

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Photo of Mark Isherwood Mark Isherwood Conservative 2:16, 12 January 2021

The UK Government has boosted the welfare system by £7.4 billion in 2021, including the temporary £20-a-week uplift in universal credit standard allowance and working tax credit basic element. In common with the Welsh Government, the UK Government is keeping all its coronavirus measures under review as the pandemic position changes. As the Prime Minister reconfirmed last week, extending the universal credit uplift beyond April is being kept under review. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has stated:

'As the Government has done throughout this crisis, it will continue to assess how best to support low-income families, which is why we will look at the economic and health context in the new year.'

It therefore doesn't have plans to cut universal credit from April. However, given your devolved responsibilities, how do you respond to the calls by the Bevan Foundation, Citizens Advice Cymru and Community Housing Cymru for the Welsh Government to establish a single point of access for benefits and support schemes administered in Wales?