Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Social Justice – in the Senedd at 2:12 pm on 20 October 2021.
Thank you, Altaf Hussain. In my response to the question from Buffy Williams I did say, and I think this is important to acknowledge, that since March 2020 last year, over 300,000 emergency payments have been made—300,000—totalling more than £20 million. But I did say, in response to questions this morning at the Equality and Social Justice Committee, that we are looking at accessibility to the discretionary assistance fund. Clearly, as Members will know, it works very closely with Citizens Advice through the single advice fund. It does refer people who are most financially vulnerable for extra, additional advice to improve their circumstances. Local authorities have a key role to play as well. I think the evidence that people are accessing that funding is all-important. Actually, we have got this discretionary assistance fund here in Wales. Nothing like this exists in England. We have got it here, and we’ve actually made awards of over £91 million since the discretionary assistance fund opened. But we are looking at the evidence that’s coming through about how we can improve access to the discretionary assistance fund, and that, I think, will be helpful in terms of answering those questions and responding to evidence where we know people are at the sharp end and need to access these funds, particularly as we move into what will be, I’m sure, a very tough winter.