Stay updated with breaking news from Ellie harwood. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.
BBC News By Teleri Glyn Jones The squeeze on universal credit has gone too far, according to the former work and pensions secretary. Stephen Crabb, who also served as secretary of state for Wales, said: We haven t funded it sufficiently for it to achieve all of its aims. A freeze on working-age benefits was imposed from April 2016 to April 2020. The UK government said it will focus on supporting people back into work as the economy reopens through the Plan For Jobs scheme. The Child Poverty Action Group (Cpag) said the benefits system needed to do more to stop people falling into crisis in the first place. ....
BBC News By Paul Martin image captionThe payments cover essentials costs like food The number of people in Wales claiming emergency Covid grants has hit a new high, figures have shown. The Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF) made nearly 6,000 emergency assistance payments in the week to 18 February. Worth on average £65, they aim to help cover essential costs such as food, gas, electricity, clothing or emergency travel but unions and charities say the fund is not reaching enough people. The Welsh Government said it had made it easier for people to apply. Trade unions are now calling for the cap on the number of applications individuals can make to be raised again - it was raised from three to five last May. ....
BBC News By Catherine Evans image copyrightJudith Andu image captionPupils eligible for free school meals - like the Andu girls in Caerphilly - currently receive the equivalent of £19.50 a week each as a food parcel, cash or a voucher More than 85,000 children are eligible for free school meals in Wales - but what happens when schools are closed in a national lockdown? According to Welsh Government figures, 85,731 pupils aged between five and 15 years old can access free school meals. During lockdown, each child gets £19.50 per week instead - as a voucher, direct payment or a food parcel. What do pupils get instead of free school meals? ....
Children home-schooling denied laptops by means testing Published image captionSome families do not have access to appropriate devices or internet access, a charity warms Children without access to a laptop are being denied support for home-schooling by means testing, a charity says. But Child Poverty Action Group in Wales said some schools were only offering help to children on free school meals. The Welsh Government said it had distributed over 74,000 devices to local authorities and 58,000 more were expected within weeks. Ellie Harwood from the charity told BBC Radio Wales: We ve been hearing that not everyone who needs these devices has been able to get them. ....