Benefits in Wales: options for better delivery
Benefits in Wales: options for better delivery
Inquiry5
The
Equality,
Local Government and Communities Committee undertook an inquiry into benefits
in Wales: options for better delivery.
Terms of reference
The terms of reference for the inquiry were to
examine:
·
arguments
for and against the devolution of welfare benefits;
·
lessons
learned from the devolution of some social security powers to Scotland;
·
options
for different forms of devolution (i.e. Universal Credit flexibilities, the
devolution of specific benefits, the ability to create new benefits etc.);
·
practical
considerations of devolution (i.e. the financial implications, integration of
devolved and non-devolved systems, delivery infrastructure etc.); and
·
the
principles that could underpin the delivery of benefits in Wales.
Evidence
gathering
The
Committee held a number of evidence sessions to inform the work, which can be
viewed in the table below. Additionally, the Committee consulted on this topic.
The consultation responses have been published.
Evidence
session |
Date,
agenda, minutes |
Transcript |
Video |
1.Guto
Ifan, Wales Governance Centre Cian
Sion, Wales Governance Centre |
|||
2
Victoria Winckler, Bevan Foundation |
|||
3
Gareth Morgan, Welfare Rights Advisers Cymru Susan
Lloyd-Selby, Trussell Trust |
|||
4
Matthew Kennedy, Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru Sam
Lister, Chartered Institute of Housing Cymru Will
Atkinson, Community Housing Cymru |
|||
5
Rachel Cable, Oxfam Cymru Samia
Mohamed |
|||
6
Hannah Blythyn AM, Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government Jo-Anne
Daniels, Welsh Government Linda
Davis, Welsh Government |
Report
The
Committee published its report: Benefits
in Wales - options for better delivery (PDF, 1MB) on 24 October 2019.
On
publication of the report, John
Griffiths MS, Chair of the Committee said:
“The
current system is currently not working for far too many people. We repeatedly
hear that benefits are not enough to
cover basic and essential household costs, and the system does not treat people with dignity,
fairness or compassion. The human cost of these failures is unacceptable, in
one of the world’s largest national economies.”
The
Welsh Government laid its response (PDF,
327KB) to the report on 6 December 2019.
Following
the publication of a report
by the Wales Centre for Public Policy, the Welsh Government updated their response
(PDF, 452KB) to the Committee’s report.
The
report and government responses were debated in Plenary on 16
September 2020.
Business type: Committee Inquiry
Status: Complete
First published: 21/02/2019
Documents
- Correspondence from the Llywydd regarding the Committee's request for a Plenary debate on benefits in Wales - 17 June 2020 PDF 190 KB
- Correspondence to the Llywydd in relation to a Plenary debate - 10 June 2020 PDF 163 KB
- Updated Welsh Government response to the Committee report – 20 May 2020 PDF 452 KB
- Correspondence from the First Minister to the Rt Hon Thérèse Coffey MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions regarding COVID-19 and the UK social security system – 17 April 2020 PDF 281 KB
- Welsh Government written response to the UK Parliamentary Work and Pensions Committee Inquiry ‘Universal Credit: the wait for a first payment’ – April 2020 PDF 430 KB
- Correspondence from the Deputy Minister for Housing & Local Government regarding the benefits in Wales report response - 13 January 2020 PDF 1 MB
- Correspondence to the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government regarding the response to the Committee's report on benefits in Wales - 16 December 2019 PDF 223 KB
- Correspondence from the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government regarding the response to the Committee's report on benefits in Wales - 5 December 2019 PDF 1 MB
- Correspondence from Hannah Blythyn, Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government - 6 August 2019 PDF 258 KB
- Correspondence to the Deputy Minister for Housing and Local Government - 10 July 2019 PDF 144 KB View as HTML (10) 93 KB
- Correspondence from Mark Isherwood AM regarding the Social Fund for funeral payments - 21 June 2019 PDF 26 KB View as HTML (11) 20 KB
- Correspondence from the Scottish Government - 27 September 2019
Consultations
- Benefits in Wales: options for better delivery (completed)