The public is not stupid. Many of our witnesses and contributors foresaw this huge hike in energy costs that households are now grappling with. They predicted that this was going to be a tsunami or perfect storm, which, I'm afraid, is now staring us in the face. This is not simply an energy crisis compounded by a climate emergency. Britain is now significantly poorer as a result of the decision taken to withdraw from the single market with our European neighbours, and Wales has taken that hit particularly badly as manufacturers are much more vulnerable than services to increased bureaucracy and hold-ups at ports. And that hold-up has obviously translated into significant rises in the costs of everyday foods. Bluntly, the problems are getting worse, not better. The rising cost of living, and the end of key measures of Government support, all point to a very, very difficult period ahead for many, many households.

What can we do about this? Well, first of all, we must work together. We made 14 recommendations in our report, covering everything from data collection to council tax arrears, and I would like to thank the Minister for Social Justice for her helpful and constructive response to the committee's recommendations, having accepted nine recommendations in full, and accepting the remaining five in principle. 

Building on the warnings from our witnesses, it is vital that people struggling to make ends meet are not falling into the hands of people who only make things worse for them. The Welsh Government's creation of the single advice fund two years ago, integrating all advice services, makes it more likely that people will get help at an earlier stage in their indebtedness. There's the Welsh Government decision, in light of our recommendation, to use community-based organisations to spread the message of hope and help to targeted groups who may not know about these single advice services. Also, we need to build on the very effective social media messaging they've used to increase the take-up of benefits to now tackle reducing the stigma associated with being in debt. People must come forward and get help from those who really can offer good alternatives to the doorstep lenders and the loan sharks. 

Fuel poverty, we can all agree, is now a major cause for concern, and the Welsh Government's £100 winter fuel payment to low-income households provides some short-term respite but it's not sufficient. The committee will return to the need for accelerated plans to tackle fuel poverty, including bringing all social homes up to energy rating A in the shortest time possible, in our forthcoming inquiry into the Warm Homes programme and what we need to do about fuel poverty. But we cannot lose sight of other challenges. 

For example, the most common debt issue raised with Citizens Advice in 2020 was council tax debt. The financial year 2020-21 saw the largest single-year increase in council tax arrears in 20 years, rising to nearly £157 million. We heard concerns about pockets of bad practice in terms of how these debts are sometimes being collected, and very much welcome the Welsh Government's willingness to review how the council tax protocol for Wales is working, whether it needs to be strengthened or be placed on a statutory footing. We welcome the Welsh Government's openness to contemplate debt bonfires of public sector debts that are likely to be irrecoverable, but we all need to recognise that there are opportunity costs to such a decision. 

Housing debt and evictions were also featured as having got a lot worse, and witnesses confirmed that the ban on evictions across the whole rental sector had been vital in preventing homelessness during the height of the pandemic. Recommendation 10 points to the importance of maintaining that section 21 six months no-fault evictions notice period once any COVID-related regulations cease. We note that the Welsh Government, in its response, is committed to finally implementing the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016 before this summer's recess, and the Senedd must ensure this deadline is met. We hope the pandemic will recede, but its legacy of indebtedness will endure well beyond that.