2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:03 pm on 13 July 2021.

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Photo of Joyce Watson Joyce Watson Labour 3:03, 13 July 2021

Trefnydd, could we have a statement on universal credit, please, specifically on the UK Government's assessment of the planned withdrawal of the £20 top-up at the end of September? The Tories, it seems, are intent on taking money out of the pockets of those who can least afford it. In Wales, more than 237,000 households were on universal credit in February, and more than 30,000 of those were families in my region.

Across the UK, it's estimated that the uplift has helped over 700,000 people stay above the poverty line, and it does somehow beggar belief that the UK Government would be, yet again, intent on choosing to make low-income households poorer, given all the uncertainty that autumn and winter puts in front of us. So, I really would appreciate an update from Government along that line on behalf of those individuals and those families.