£51 million to help hardest hit in Wales

Welsh Ministers have announced a new £51 million package of support will help families facing the cost-of-living crisis to pay their bills this winter.

The Welsh Government is releasing extra funding from its reserves to target support towards lower income households, providing immediate support for people facing rising living costs this winter.

The first phase of the Household Support Fund will target heating and eating – providing families with extra help to pay their energy bills over the winter and giving extra funding to foodbanks and community food schemes.

The funding has been announced as the government refuses to reverse the cut of its £20 Universal Credit.

Rebecca Evans, Minster for Finance and Local Government, said: “Families across Wales are facing a real cost-of-living crisis thanks to rising prices and cuts to key benefit payments. To help tackle these unprecedented challenges, we are making £51 million available to develop our own bespoke Household Support Fund to help with some of the costs families are facing. Where Westminster has failed to support families, the Welsh Government will step in and back our communities through this challenging period.”