Shadow Social Justice Minister and North Wales MS Mark Isherwood has called on the Welsh Government to ensure that the £25 million of Consequential Funding flowing to the Welsh Government from the UK Government’s extension to the Household Support Fund, is “targeted in its entirety at households hardest hit by the cost-of-living increases”.
Questioning the Social Justice Minister in yesterday’s meeting of the Welsh Parliament, Mr Isherwood, who Chairs the Cross-Party Group on Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency, also referred to the Welsh Government’s Cold Weather Resilience Plan for people at risk of living in a cold home, and asked what action the Welsh Government has taken to achieve the Plan’s aims and establish referral networks between health professionals and advice providers.
Speaking in the Senedd, he said:
“Thirteen days ago, the UK Government announced a new £15 Billion Cost of Living support package targeted towards millions of low-income households, bringing its total cost of living support to £37 billion.
“The 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.
“There will also be £25 million of Consequential Funding flowing to the Welsh Government from the extension to the Household Support Fund.
“How will the Welsh Government ensure that this funding will be targeted in its entirety at households hardest hit by the cost of living increases, beyond the funding announcements you made before this additional funding was announced?”
In her response, the Minister welcomed the UK Government’s support package, but wasn’t clear about the Consequential Funding.
Mr Isherwood added:
“I hope that answer meant that that money will be going in its entirety to hardest-hit households. It wasn't exactly clear.”
With regards the Welsh Government’s Cold Weather Resilience Plan, he said:
“Questioning you here in January, I referred to the publication of the Welsh Government’s Cold Weather Resilience Plan for people at risk of living in a cold home, when I asked how you respond to concern and feedback from Fuel Poverty Coalition Members ‘that they would like to see strengthened detail on how the Welsh Government will work with the Health Sector to achieve the Plan’s aims and agree what the Health Sector can do to support it’.
“When you attended the Cross-Party Group on Fuel Poverty and Energy Efficiency meeting on 14th March, I asked you how the Welsh Government intends to work with the health sector to achieve the plan’s aims and establish referral networks between health actors and advice partners.
“In response, you asked your officials to follow up with me and the Cross Party Group on how Welsh Government could look to work with health agencies in this way. Thus far, I've heard nothing. So, when, therefore, will this be happening? And what action has so far been taken?”
In her response the Minister said:
“Our Fuel Poverty Plan commits to continued investment in the Warm Homes programme, particularly in the development and publication of the Cold Weather Resilience Plan. Of course, the key factor, in terms of health and well-being, is crucial to that. So, I was grateful for that question, and for that call on us to look at partnership with the health service. Indeed, I've already raised this with the Health and Social Services Minister.”