Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:33 pm on 17 May 2022.
Households in Wales are facing the biggest fall in disposable income in close to 50 years, with the poorest households hit the hardest, spending over a quarter of their income on energy and food. Considering this is a Tory cost-of-living crisis, the solutions and comments we've heard from the Tory Westminster Government are a joke. We've been told to get better jobs, we've been told that we can't cook properly, and now we have a Prime Minister who's happy to see pensioners ride buses all day just to keep warm. In contrast, the Welsh Government are providing real solutions: the cost-of-living support scheme and the discretionary cost-of-living support scheme, the discretionary assistance fund, the pupil development grant access scheme, and the winter fuel support scheme. I know that charities and the third sector are also providing essential support, and it's so important that residents are aware of this. Will the First Minister explore the idea of creating a cost-of-living helpline, or writing to households in Wales, signposting residents to the third sector organisations and charities that are providing support to ease the cost-of-living pressures?