Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:43 pm on 14 June 2022.
First Minister, the pandemic crisis has pushed many families in Blaenau Gwent and elsewhere into hardship and exposes the severity of the UK's food poverty problem, a problem that I cannot deny has been exacerbated by current increases in the cost of living. Last month, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, announced a package of measures to help the most vulnerable people in Wales, including a one-off £650 payment to low-income households on universal credit, tax credits and legacy benefits, one-off payments of £300 to pensioner households, and £150 to individuals receiving disability benefits. This new cost-of-living support package will mean that the most vulnerable households in Wales will receive over £1,000 of extra support this year. So, First Minister, will you join me in welcoming these measures, which deliver significant targeted support to those on low incomes, pensioners and disabled people—groups who are most vulnerable to the rising prices in Blaenau Gwent and throughout Wales? Thank you.