Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Social Justice – in the Senedd at 2:17 pm on 22 September 2021.
Minister, we have lived through an extended period of austerity, with all the damage that has brought. We now live and continue to live through the pandemic, and, as you say, that has further damaged prospects for those who are most disadvantaged in Wales. We see prices for food and energy going up and set to go up further. It really is a very difficult time for people who are struggling in Wales, and the Bevan Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation made it clear that what needs to be done is to increase income and reduce outgoings for families in these circumstances. It's frustrating that many of the tax and benefit levers are not in the hands of Welsh Government, but there are of course things that can be done in Wales. Minister, will Welsh Government continue to work to look at devolving the administration of benefits, which would help in many respects; consider a Wales-wide roll-out of the pilots on increasing benefit take-up, because we know that sadly there is still a lot to be done to persuade and enable people to take up benefits, which they badly need and which they will spend in their local communities for the good of the local economy; and also, will Welsh Government carefully look and continue to look at extending eligibility for free school meals? All of these would help with increasing income and reducing outgoings.