4. How is the Government helping to combat poverty in South Wales East during the cost-of-living crisis? OQ58896

Llywydd, citizens in Wales, including South Wales East, have benefitted from initiatives such as the £150 cost-of-living payment, the fuel support scheme and our Wales-only discretionary assistance fund. The Welsh Government will continue to support the most vulnerable households through this difficult period.

Diolch, Prif Weinidog. Yesterday marked four years since you took office as First Minister. In that time, we've seen an upturn in fortunes for some of our poorest—. We haven't seen an upturn—. Not even able to read my question, sorry. I'll start again. [Laughter.] Yes. In that time, we haven't seen an upturn in fortunes for some of our poorest communities. In fact, it has got a lot worse for many, and it will probably deteriorate even further. Visiting people in my region, I see this deterioration first-hand in many communities, some of which are the poorest communities in the country. Granted, much of the blame for this lies at the door of Westminster and a system that never recognises or prioritises Wales, but you cling on to it regardless. But there are things that we can do here in Wales. An anti-poverty strategy would be a great start. First Minister, why have you not implemented one in the last four years of your leadership to replace the anti-poverty strategy your Government axed in 2017?

Well, Llywydd, I agree with what the Member says about the very tough time that faces so many communities here in Wales, particularly over this winter. The general background is not as bleak as he would portray it. I answered a question earlier this afternoon about the census, and, if you look at some of the figures in the latest releases from the census, it shows that household deprivation has fallen significantly in Wales over that decade. The census analyses deprivation against four areas. It looks at employment, education, health and disability, and housing. In 2011, 61 per cent of all Welsh households experienced at least one of those four dimensions of deprivation. By 2021, that had fallen to 54 per cent, and the biggest falls were in parts of the Member's own region. The biggest falls were in Blaenau Gwent, for example. So, while I'm agreeing with him about the challenges that are faced in the here and now and over this winter, I don't think it is fair to portray the whole of what has happened, either since I became First Minister or previously, as not having had a positive effect, because that is exactly what the census figures demonstrate.

And as to his point about a strategy, I'll repeat what I've said many times now, Llywydd, that what I want our civil service colleagues and those we work with to be focused on are those practical actions that make a difference in the lives of Welsh citizens. Writing strategies is not something that is going to put food on anybody's table or help anybody to meet their fuel bills this winter. We will publish a refreshed child poverty strategy next year, but, for me, in a cost-of-living crisis, what do I think the Welsh Government should be doing: writing more strategy documents or delivering the fuel bank to every community in Wales; delivering the winter fuel payment, uniquely here in Wales; making sure that we can invest in the discretionary assistance fund, available only here in Wales? For me, the focus of people's actions, the energy we have, the money we have, the time we have available, is better focused on those practical things that make a difference, and we will come to a renewed strategy when the immediate difficulties of this winter have begun to recede.

First Minister, firstly, happy four-year anniversary, and I'd like to also ask: it's estimated that up to 80,000 people are actually poorer pensioners in Wales and missing out on pension credit, which is worth up to £65 a week on average, compared to those who claim, and that over £200 million goes unclaimed each year. In south-east Wales, nearly 17,500 people already claim pension credit, but it's estimated that around a quarter of people who could claim the extra help do not do so. Research has shown that many people don't claim because they don't think they're either eligible, as well as being reluctant to do so because of the embarrassment and stigma that's associated with it. The UK Conservative Government has launched a new campaign to boost the take-up of pension credit, as part of their package of measures to support people with the cost of living. So, First Minister, will you join me in welcoming this campaign by the UK Conservative Government? And what action are you taking, alongside the Ministers here, to make older people in Wales aware of their rights to claim this extra support to which they may be entitled, specifically those whose first language is not either English or Welsh? Thank you.

I thank the Member for that important question. As many Members of the Senedd will know, we created a new Cabinet committee back in September, which has met every week during this autumn, to look at cost-of-living measures. We were joined yesterday by the UK Minister for social mobility, and there was an opportunity there to discuss the need to improve the uptake of pension credit for all the reasons that Natasha Asghar has mentioned. We were able to talk about the actions we are taking as a Government, with our take-up campaigns and our 'make every contact count' campaign over this autumn, and how we can bring the actions we are taking, together with the new publicity that the UK Government is providing around the take-up of pension credit, together, so that we can have the maximum impact here in Wales. Pension credit is such an important benefit, Llywydd, because it's a gateway benefit. It opens the door to so many other things that people can get, and for that reason I agree with what the Member says. Anything we can do, across the Chamber, to improve the take-up of that benefit here in Wales will be time and investment well spent.

We'll return now to question 3, by Joel James.

Thank you, Llywydd—really sorry about that.