'Welfare decisions for Wales should be made in Wales' – Deputy First Minister

Families in Wales could get help designed around their needs , if the Welsh Government secures powers over welfare.

The Welsh Government is calling on the UK Government to devolve more welfare powers and will bring forward a clear plan on how this should be done.

In an oral statement to the Senedd, the Deputy First Minister set out the plan for a fairer and more compassionate Welsh Welfare System, so that decisions affecting people in Wales are made in Wales.

Where Wales already makes the decisions, families are seeing the benefit.

The Welsh Government has now rolled out the first phase of its universal childcare offer, with 12.5 hours of funded childcare on offer for all two-year-olds in 19 out of 22 local authorities. This is helping to reduce costs for families, addressing poverty and supporting people into work.

Going forward, the Cynnal Child Payment pilot - a direct weekly payment to families with young children on Universal Credit in selected local authority areas - will show how families can benefit from the Welsh Government’s existing powers while building the case for a wider rollout through additional powers.

The Welsh Government continues to call on the UK Government to ensure the Cynnal payment does not reduce recipients' entitlement to other benefits.

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality said:  

"Poverty rates in Wales are among the highest in the UK and this level of hardship needs meaningful action, but too often the key levers rest with the UK Government.

"Welfare decisions for Wales should be made in Wales. To be able to build a fairer and more compassionate welfare system – one that better reflects our needs and values – requires Wales to have greater control over the welfare decisions that affect the lives of our citizens. 

"The Scottish Child Payment has made a tangible difference to child poverty in Scotland and this is something we want to do here in Wales through our Cynnal Child Payment pilot, but this requires assurances from the UK Government that they would not penalise those who receive the payment – low-income families, with young children, who need it most.

"Having the ability to design solutions such as Cynnal that meet the needs of communities in Wales is why we must keep making the case for devolving welfare powers."

In the meantime, the Welsh Government is working with local government and others to make Welsh benefits easier to claim. These include the Council Tax Reduction Scheme, free school meals and Healthy Start Vouchers.