 Prinhawn Dha, ddweud i chi'n gweithio i mi ddweud. Felly ydym yn y meddwl o'r cyfrifiad ar gyfer yn ymwyaf. Y reddylch yn ddwyCHI yn gweithio'r cyfrifiad ar gyfer yn gyfrifiad. Mae gennymau ar weld yw'r gweithiau a'r ddweud yn gyfrifiad yw'r cyfrifiad yw'r gweithiau. Mae gennymau ar weld y gweithiau i gweithiau ar gyfle mae'r gweithiau yn gweithio ar gyfer ddweud. Mae gennymau ar weld yw'r gweithiau am y ffordd o gweithio'r gweithiau a'r ddweud. Ond oes y gallwn gyfnod hynny'r llwyso'n cerddiad yn ymdweithio'r gwaith o'r lefnod o'ch chi i'ch gael mewn oed, a oed o'r llwydd o'r llefnod. Yn y rhai cyfnodd o'r pethau sydd yn y gweithio'r llwyso'n cyfaint, rwy'n credu'r hyffordd o'r llefnod. Dyna'r llwyso'n cyflosion sy'n hyn yn ôl. Mae Gweithio Llywodraeth yn ymdw'r ysbryd yn April, oedd yn ogylched gyda chi'n gwithio'r bobl. mae'n cael ei ddigonwch yn hyn. A'i gweithio'n gweithio'n meddwl yng nghymru o'r fforddau ar y cyfnodau o'r fforddau ar gyfer o'r fforddau ar gyfer o'r fforddau ar gyfer o'r fforddau. Ond y cyfnodol ymlaen fel y Gweithredu UK, yn hynny ymbrill y gallai gwerth o'r horddoddau o ddau'r cyffredig o'r ymddangos yma, oherwydd mae'n amlwg cyffredigol o'r cyflodau o'r gennym o'r gwnaeth ymgylch ar gyfer o'r gweithredu, Mae'r ffocusio gwahanol yn ei gael'r prifysgol y Prifysgol. A when they've acted, they've made problems worse. They cut the universal credit £20 uplift, which was such a vital lifeline during the pandemic, helping working people and those on low incomes. And just when this help is needed the most, it's gone. And now the UK government is putting in place a new complex system of rules for people on universal credit. The way to work campaign will mean job seekers face sanctions instead of support into work. It's a short cut to slash spending on welfare while driving people into insecure short term work and we've seen the huge damage that sanctions can cause and the government wants to apply sanctions before people even receive the first universal credit payment. Earlier this month my colleague Julie James, the Minister for Climate Change and I wrote to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Relations to highlight our serious concerns about the increase in domestic energy prices and the impact they're having on households in Wales. We're very worried about the risk of more people falling into fuel poverty. We've called on the UK government to consider introducing differentiated domestic energy tariff cap or social energy tariff which can be targeted to better support lower income households and this would help protect lower income households against unaffordable price increases. These are the families who spend the largest proportion of their budgets on energy and once again we echo the words of the devolved governments, charities and people across the country when we call on them to listen and act. I want to turn now to what we're doing in Wales to support people through the cost of living crisis. While most of the powers lie in Whitehall there are a range of actions we're taking to ease pressure on households here. Earlier this winter we launched our household support fund, a £51 million package of support targeted at families in the most vulnerable. The biggest element of that was the winter fuel support scheme. It's providing a one off £100 payment for eligible households towards their fuel bills, helping them to keep their homes warm this winter so people don't have to make that choice between heating and eating. We know this scheme is working and helping to support the most vulnerable in our society so today I am pleased to announce that we will be doubling this support. We will be increasing the £100 payment to £200 and this will be available to new applicants and will be retrospectively paid to all those who have already received support. Applications are being processed through local councils. If you've already made an application or had a £100 payment you don't need to do anything else, your local council will send you the additional £100 payment before the end of April. Councils have contacted households which they believe are eligible for the payment. The scheme is open to households where one person is in receipt of certain welfare benefits. You can submit your application via your local council's website by the 28th of February. We are determined to do all we can to support our people with the bills they are facing and this will go a long way to do just that. I want to pay tribute to all the councils across Wales for their help in swiftly processing these payments. They've been under tremendous pressure during the pandemic but time and again they've delivered for our communities and further support is available through the Discretion and Assistance Fund which provides emergency support for people and families if they need it. Last year we delivered the first national benefits take up campaign in Wales which helped people claim hundreds of thousands of pounds in benefits they are entitled to and we are now running another claim what's yours campaign which will run until March 2022. Our single advice fund also helps people navigate the benefits system to better understand what they're entitled to and how to claim and these are just some examples of how we're stepping in to help support families across Wales with this cost of living crisis. We're doing all we can with the resources we have to support Welsh families and communities through these difficult times. We will continue to call on the UK government to act to help us to alleviate the pressure and pain faced by so many across Wales so we can work to address this cost of living crisis. Thank you. I'll now take questions from journalists and all the answers will be broadcast live on our social media channels. Felicity Evans BBC Minister thank you very much. Do you accept that given the scale of energy bills that people will be facing this spring what you're offering here that a one off £200 payment won't really touch the sides? Well I think the doubling of the £100 payment is a very important step towards trying to help those households who are so are going to be faced with those rising bills but you know as I've outlined it's more than that that we're doing we have our take-up campaign income maximisation there are a lot of benefits that people aren't entitled to but also importantly our discretionary assistance fund which is this is something where we have been paying our payments our emergency payments individual assistance payments during the pandemic we continue to do this and because of the cost of living crisis even more important and of course that discretionary assistance fund is available for example to off grid those who've got oil energy users so it's very important that we do all we can but clearly I would say it's the UK government who've got to respond to this cost of living crisis they've got the powers we've written to the Secretary of State why aren't we getting a response to them why aren't they saying they will reduce the tariffs they will increase the warm homes discounts they will extend eligibility for cold weather payments why aren't they doing that I mean that's why it is you know what we're doing we're stretching everything in all my powers in my portfolio tackling food poverty it's not just fuel poverty supporting and and indeed responding to the needs that are coming to us in Wales but the UK government why don't they reinstate that 20 pound cuts to universal credit which is crippling families now thank you and something that is in your control the health service and social care people facing records times on waiting lists and part of the problem we're told is that there are people in hospital beds right now who are fit to be discharged but there is nowhere for them to go the UK government is planning to impose a national insurance rise in April the money for which will help to be directed to their NHS waiting lists and then subsequently to social care what is the Welsh government's plan to increase capacity in social care well clearly we want to ensure that those people who are now in hospital beds can then uh go transfer of care as we call it into not just to social care some of them back to their homes for domiciliary care packages that's obviously why the Welsh government the health and social services minister and deputy minister for social services are working week by week with the local authorities with the health boards as we do in partnership to ensure that we can move that forward but also making sure that we have a resilience and robust social care workforce playing the real living wage working with the providers I mean we are playing our part but you know we need to make sure that we get the funding the spending review wasn't good enough in terms of recognising the needs the national insurance increase not the right tax at the right time we need progressive general taxation to help us meet those needs but we will do as in our draft budget is quite clearly shown we will do what we can with our powers and levers to support those in need of social care and make sure that our partnerships work together effectively thank you very much Felicity can I turn to Ruth Masalski from Wales online thank you minister can you tell us how many homes are going to actually receive this extra funding and how much the scheme is going to cost in total because the jersey frantry foundation said that even before the pandemic 700,000 people will live in poverty in Wales so is this is this some today going to go anywhere near helping enough people well thank you very much Ruth and just to say you know I've already indicated the ways in which within our powers and levers we are meeting the needs of people who are now facing fuel poverty I mean yesterday the Minister for Climate Change and I Julie James met with national energy action they reminded us as a result of the last uplift hike in terms of the cap on fuel it was 22,500 people in Wales are in fuel poverty more of course will be when that cap rises again in April so we are doing what we can we're doubling the amount of money for our winter our bespoke winter fuel support payment and what's important about that is that local authorities are managing it so that people yes we want people to apply we want you and it's really great that we get the sort of media support and publicity we want people to promote this scheme we're extending the period for application till the end of February but local authorities are reaching out all our assistance advice services all the single advice services that we that we fund they're all reaching out as well so £200 will make a difference but also our discretionary assistance fund as I've already said there's other key ways in which we can help people in terms of tackling the rising food costs so we're putting more money through our household living fund into supporting food banks just as one example I'm going to out to visit projects this week to see what they're all doing people across Wales are responding but it is the UK government who are really the ones who are responsible for making a real difference in terms of energy prices they have got to respond what you know what are they doing now they are not responding to our call to to reduce the tariff I'm not also I would say not only have we written to the Secretary of State for Business Energy and Industrial Relations I've written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to say she must uplift benefit rates from April with inflation running us at the levels it is you know at the moment they're only going to be uprated by 3.1% now inflation running up to 6% I've asked her to raise it to 6% no response of course no response from either Secretary of State's lack of respect for the Welsh Government we are asking them to recognise this is a cost of living crisis that should be at the forefront of their agenda but we will do what we can to support our families in Wales thank you if you are able to give us that number for how many homes we'll receive it would be grateful but can I also ask what you're going to do for people that aren't on benefits this scheme is limited to families receiving benefits but there's young people who are in work who for example rent a flat and whose bills will you know be creeping up there's families who are already stretched and don't want to see their bills rise even more so how are they going to be helped by Welsh Government well thank you very much Ruth for that and yes I think well up to 350 000 people would be eligible for our 200 pound benefit I think I'm very encouraged by the take up so far I think we've had 40 40 uptake I think 106 000 1000 payments have been made already and you know we're extending this to the end of February we've had applications from 146 000 people so household so it is it is getting out there and those numbers of course will give you an indication who's eligible but also we we need to recognise that this is something which is is going to make a difference to those household eligible who are eligible but I'm very conscious of the fact that there are other benefits that that can be taken up and that's why we are working with our single advice providers to ensure that they advise those who are in debt or running into debt because they could apply for the council tax reduction scheme for example I mean as far as our young people is concerned I mean this is so important I mean you know we kept our educational maintenance allowance in Wales for those those young people who are going into further further education we are also supporting them in in many different ways we also in our letter to the UK government said they should be doing something about local housing allowance as well which have been frozen by the UK government we've got such a social wage in terms of helping households with free free school meals and extending that free school breakfast free script prescriptions there's many ways in which we can support but we need to recognise our young people as well that's why the youth guarantee is so important as well as helping them in the ways that I've described so back to what is the UK government doing in terms of the cost of living crisis that's where we need to hold them to account they need to respond to us they need to play their part they've got the key levers in tax in terms of tax and benefits and that's what we will expect of them but this uplift today is helping families it's helping families with the cost of living crisis and it is available to a lot of people so look at the website go to your council and they'll advise you thank you Ruth can I move on to Richard Morgan ITV wells thanks minister yes we know that people with disabilities and people with illnesses chronic illnesses are disproportionately affected by the cost of living increase we spoke into a number of people with cancer at ITV Cymru Wales who have a particular need for for heating and for energy and what particular support can you offer them and what would you say to them if they find that today's £100 increase isn't enough thank you very much Richard and it is very important that we are working with all our our charities and organisations who are supporting vulnerable people and particularly reference the the cancer charities many of whom also work with us in terms of ensuring that people they're working with supporting and indeed their carers as well as themselves are accessing the benefits that they're entitled the UK government benefits that they're entitled to and ensuring that for example pensioners are getting pension a credit that's pension credit that's another benefit which isn't taken up enough in Wales and may affect many of those you are to have been talking to so our winter fuel support scheme is is available to households where one member of the household it just has had to be one member who is entitled to working age benefits and we you know with 350 000 there's a lot more to who could take up this benefit and I heard you know I know that you will help us get the message over discretionary assistance fund payments are important there's two routes to that the emergency assistant payments and individual assistant payments again you can apply for those um go to to contact with your citizens advice but and so many of our local authorities in Wales are helping as well but I think it's working together in terms of you know if this is this is a crunch time every day and through your channels as well we see what it means where people are saying heating or eating where we hear of a grandmother who says I only put the heating on when my grandchildren come to the house this is a time where you know we have we will do our bit we will help in the ways we can with our winter fuel support and reach out to as many as possible and maximize take up campaigns but we also need to see the UK government responding to our calls done uh you know in terms of what we are responsible what they're responsible for they need to deliver in terms of that to help those very people who are vulnerable that you are referring to Richard. Thank you minister and uh also Pleid Cymru has suggested that you should go further with this policy perhaps extending support to those in fuel poverty already and those who face a debt due to the cost of living cost of living increase what would you say to that? Well I think it is very important and again working in partnership and responding to the equality and social justice committee who did a very powerful cross party committee of course in the senate very powerful report recently on debt I responded in support of all of the recommendations that came from that cross party committee which particularly looking at ways in which we can enable as many people as possible to not only apply for these this particular fuel support scheme eligibility is crucial but also to all of the other grants that are available so I'm looking forward to the fact that that committee is doing another inquiry now particularly focusing on fuel poverty we have a fuel poverty advisory panel who work with us who support us in terms of policy direction uh national energy action yesterday as I said meeting with the minister for climate change so we will do everything to stretch I will do everything to stretch within my powers within the levers of the Welsh government to get money out into the pockets of people who need it in terms of fuel poverty but I think particularly my point about tackling fuel poverty in rural areas do people know that they can apply for a discretionary assistance fund payment if you have you know if you have if you have an oil energy user um can we make sure that you know people see that energy efficiency is also part of this and we've got a 30 million pound in in the draft budget for next year for the next you know for the next budget um for energy efficiency so you know as well as targeting getting them funding out UK government should be reinstating the 20 pound universal credit cut uh they should be expanding the warm homes discount and winter fuel payments and reducing the tariffs for lower income households and I know um that colleagues imply can we support those points as as well we in the senate there's all very much strong support for the direction we're taking the UK government has to play their part thank you Harry Hansen that's TV thank you minister um of course the Dublin of winter fuel payments is going to help thousands of people across Wales it goes without saying but there are many local families who still rely on food banks who won't be eligible for these payments because of their income so what support is available for those families well we also within the household living fund which I launched in last year before Christmas we had funding for supporting our food banks we already put money into supporting our food banks via our local authorities but it's not just the food banks the trustal trust has seen across the UK a 33 uplift in uh in the need for call on food banks the fact that we have food banks in Wales we should not be in this position where we have people have to rely on food banks but there are also some very innovative projects in terms of tackling food poverty and I'm going to be visiting some uh this week in Wales there's very uh a pioneering project led by the school uh Caddoxton school big box Boyd and this is going to be with it now um in all the valleys and valleys communities and schools they're going to be taking this is about actually being able to make food available fresh food available at affordable costs bringing in fair shares as well which is another partner as well as trustal trust and the food banks it's about actually having our free school meals extension which of course is part of our corporation agreement with Plaid Cymru and making and also you know we're the only government who said that they would provide free school meals right through into the summer as well as this as this year recognized by Marcus Rashford we've got to get food for our children and fresh healthy food for our children as well so this is all within my portfolio of responsibility it is about tackling poverty it's about social justice and working with communities and schools to make sure that we can and local local resourcing use may ensuring that also food pantries that are developing across Wales with schools um that they're also engaging with the local supply chain for our communities and our farming communities particularly thank you for that a bit more on that really I suppose you know food banks are under a huge amount of pressure of demand um because of the pandemic and because of things like rising supermarket prices what is the government you know actively doing to really support food banks as we move away from the pandemic well we do provide funding and local authorities and directly partnerships with food banks not just at a local level but with trust or trust and all those charities involved across Wales in supporting I've mentioned them already I'm looking forward to to visiting splice on Thursday in Pile and also Dusty Forge in Ely where there is a very powerful community effort to support people I mean a lot of supermarkets are part of fair shares so there is access to food which is crucial in terms of of tackling food waste and the circular economy but also working with our farming communities as well so this this has got to be about you know our community food strategy and how we are addressing this in the whole it's a very much across government issue myself of course in terms of the sharp end of fuel poverty emergency access and meeting with the child poverty action group last week meeting with families who are trying to access that healthy food for their children and young people so you know this is this is all part of our our work and role but does it go back to the UK government are they going to play their role are they going to rise to the challenge people are seeing this cost of living crisis and challenge on their doorstep and they are not dealing with it in Westminster thank you Harry now on to Tom from Caerys World thank you very much indeed minister looking down your list of responsibilities by my reckoning there's 29 headings must be hard to keep across all of those so concentrating on what's in your control leaving the UK government to one side of the measures you've mentioned so far what is your absolute top priority for immediate action to help unpaid Caerys this is the single measure if you like that people can look out for to check they are truly being helped well thank you very much Tom and I mean Caerys and particularly unpaid Caerys have to be at the forefront not just of my portfolio very much so with my colleague Julie Morgan the deputy minister for social services you know who is who has engaged not just engaging with unpaid Caerys but also ensuring that more funding is made available to unpaid Caerys and to the organizations that support unpaid Caerys as well but I would say Tom that actually many of the things that I'm responsible for in my portfolio are about trying to assist directly unpaid Caerys with the sort of financial support that I've mentioned today and we we've gone over it a number of times the 200 pound winter fuel support scheme will help unpaid Caerys maximizing access to pension credit and I know that you you also promote that as well because we know that it's not been taken up to as full an extent as it can indeed including council tax credit reduction as well benefits I mean I do we haven't really mentioned other things that we should be doing which is not just in my portfolio but is in the minister for climate change portfolio as well in terms of more investment for our warm homes program into energy efficiency also supporting people who are at risk of homelessness or in housing conditions where you need that retrofit that is now in our 30 million pound draft budget so you know I think in terms of my role it's part of a Welsh government response particularly to supporting unpaid Caerys who are so often invisible invisible and do not have the kind of able and certainly through the pandemic to have the kind of support that we would want them to have just in terms of social support and contact I'm responsible as you know Tom for the third sector and I very much value our Caerys groups and organisations that really do work together and support unpaid Caerys in such an important way perhaps that's my second question I can ask you the question that many viewers asked me daily weekly monthly and that is how come politicians of any party earning salaries that are paid are well above the sort of typical income for a family how can you understand the the daily hourly stress of having to struggle like this well as a constituency Senedd member for the Vale of Glamorgan for the last 22 years I am absolutely committed living in and working with and walking around the down the street with and going to visit my constituents are they you know they show me what life is like for them you know they this is where if this is where trust and integrity is so important to to be a to be a politician to listen to the people you represent and serve thank you very much Tom thank you