The Welsh Government's winter fuel support scheme sets out to support those most vulnerable, and it's valued by those who receive it, as Carolyn pointed out. But my concern lies with those that don't receive it. My constituent Michelle is a disabled full-time unpaid carer for her disabled husband. They depend on their personal independence payments and her carers allowance to survive. As she recently discovered, she was not eligible for the winter fuel support scheme because she isn't claiming a qualifying UK-administered means-tested benefit. Why are we choosing to rely on the notoriously heartless DWP system to dictate to us who is eligible for the winter fuel support scheme, when we often regret how little control we have over our own welfare system? Are we really denying this support to someone who is experiencing such crippling poverty that they must choose between food and fuel? It should not shock the Siambr at all to know that many people experiencing poverty may not be able to access the usual means-tested benefits. Through the eligibility criteria we've chosen for the winter fuel support scheme, we are at risk of simply operating like a welfare delivery department for the DWP, with the DWP de facto telling us who is eligible for support.

We must take the initiative here in this Senedd to ensure that all those who need our support get it. We have the power to do that with the winter fuel support scheme by expanding the eligibility criteria. Potentially we could even add a discretionary element to the fund for those who just miss the eligibility criteria. In Michelle's instance, I was directed to inform her that the discretionary assistance fund was available for emergencies where she would need to preferably make a new claim for each different emergency. It's welcome that the fund is there, but I would ask: which emergency should Michelle claim for? Her inability to light her home every day? Her lack of hot water? Those in poverty experience emergencies like these every day. As we approach winter this year, we must ensure that this vital scheme is fit for purpose. People like Michelle and her husband need the financial lift that the winter fuel support scheme provides. Let's not only change the eligibility criteria so that we can help those most vulnerable through this cost-of-living crisis, but ensure that payments are regular and timely throughout the year, so that support is always available. Because, God knows, Michelle and others need it.