Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
  

The UK Government is implementing a wide ranging and significant programme of reform of the welfare system. As part of this, the Council Tax Benefit system is being brought to an end on 1 April 2013 and funding transferred to Wales so that a new arrangement could be put in place to provide support with council tax bills.  The funding transfer included a cut of 10 per cent based on the UK Government’s estimate of expenditure 2013\-14 budget.  


On 19 December 2012, the Assembly passed regulations that would implement new arrangements to support those who will pay council tax in 2013\-14\.  The Regulations (Council Tax Reduction Schemes and Prescribed Requirements (Wales) Regulations 2012 and Council Tax Reduction Schemes (Default Scheme) (Wales) Regulations 2012\) set out that the maximum level of support that eligible claimants could receive would be 90 per cent.  This reflected the shortfall in the transfer of funding from the UK Government.


The Welsh Government has  become increasingly concerned about the practical impact of the reduction in support for claimants.  This is particularly the case as the impact of other UK Government welfare reforms is becoming clearer, for example, as people are notified of the direct impact of the ‘bedroom tax’.  The difficulties for some of our most vulnerable have been sharpened further by the decision of the UK Government last week to set a 1 per cent cap on benefit increases.  Aside from other reductions as a consequence of the welfare reform programme, this will implement a further real terms cut in income for those groups of people.


Against this background, the Welsh Government  has decided to increase the maximum level of support from the current 90 per cent to 100 per cent.  That means claimants will receive the full amount of support for their council tax bills to which they are eligible.  Unlike the 2012 Regulations, not all claimants receiving support will have to pay a proportion of their bill.  The Government will provide an additional £22 million to local authorities to implement the change.  It has been possible to identify these funds as a consequence of the Government’s careful financial management and prudent use of reserves and departmental budgets.


In order to implement this change, the existing regulations must be amended.  The Government will also use the opportunity to uprate some financial thresholds in the current regulations and to make a small number of other minor adjustments, partly in response to the helpful scrutiny by the Constitutional and Legislative Affairs Committee before Christmas.  


Local authorities are subject to a range of deadlines in the run up to issuing council tax bills, including the need to adopt a Council Tax Reduction scheme by 31 January so it is vital that the amendments are made as soon as possible.  If it is not possible to make the amended regulations in time, authorities may incur very substantial costs for council tax rebilling.


The Government has laid amending regulations today and will seek with the support of the Presiding Officer and Business Committee to debate them in the Assembly early next week.   In view of the timing, this will involve the suspension of Standing Orders.  The proposed changes will not affect the Sunset Clause added to the Regulations in December and the amended Regulations will operate for 2013\-14 only.


The changes to the Regulations that the Welsh Government is making will significantly improve the financial position for those vulnerable households who would have faced increases in their council tax bills, as well as those who would have had to contribute to their council tax bills for the first time.


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 







Translation:


 
  
Mae Llywodraeth y DU yn rhoi rhaglen eang a sylweddol ar waith er mwyn diwygio’r gyfundrefn les. Fel rhan o’r rhaglen hon, bwriedir rhoi terfyn ar system Budd\-dal y Dreth Gyngor ar 1 Ebrill 2013 a throsglwyddo’r cyllid i Gymru er mwyn sefydlu trefn newydd i roi cymorth tuag at filiau’r dreth gyngor. Roedd trosglwyddo’r cyllid yn cynnwys gostyngiad o 10 y cant a oedd wedi’i seilio ar amcangyfrif Llywodraeth y DU o wariant ar gyfer cyllideb 2013\-14\.Ar 19 Rhagfyr 2012, pasiodd y Cynulliad reoliadau a fyddai’n rhoi trefniadau newydd ar waith i gynorthwyo’r rhai a fydd yn talu’r dreth gyngor yn 2013\-14\. Roedd y Rheoliadau (Rheoliadau Cynlluniau Gostyngiadau’r Dreth Gyngor a Gofynion Rhagnodedig (Cymru) 2012 a Rheoliadau Cynlluniau Gostyngiadau’r Dreth Gyngor  (Cynllun Diofyn) (Cymru) 2012\) yn nodi mai 90 y cant fyddai lefel uchaf y cymorth y gallai hawlwyr cymwys ei gael. Roedd hyn yn adlewyrchu’r diffyg yn y cyllid a drosglwyddir gan Lywodraeth y DU.

Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi dechrau pryderu fwyfwy am effaith ymarferol y gostyngiad yn y cymorth i hawlwyr. Mae hyn yn arbennig o wir wrth i effaith diwygiadau lles eraill Llywodraeth y DU ddod yn gliriach, er enghraifft, wrth i bobl gael gwybod am effaith uniongyrchol y ‘dreth ystafelloedd gwely’. Mae penderfyniad Llywodraeth y DU yr wythnos diwethaf i osod terfyn o 1 y cant ar y cynnydd mewn budd\-daliadau wedi gwaethygu’r sefyllfa i rai o’n pobl fwyaf agored i niwed. Ar wahân i’r gostyngiadau eraill sy’n deillio o’r rhaglen i ddiwygio’r gyfundrefn les, bydd hyn yn golygu gostyngiad incwm pellach, mewn termau real, i’r grwpiau hyn o bobl.  

Ar sail hyn, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi penderfynu cynyddu lefel uchaf y cymorth o’i lefel bresennol o 90 y cant i 100 y cant. Mae hyn yn golygu y bydd hawlwyr yn derbyn yr holl gymorth y mae ganddynt hawl iddo ar gyfer biliau’r dreth gyngor. Yn wahanol i Reoliadau 2012, ni fydd raid i’r holl hawlwyr sy’n derbyn cymorth dalu cyfran o’u biliau. Bydd y Llywodraeth yn darparu £22 miliwn yn ychwanegol i awdurdodau lleol, er mwyn iddynt weithredu’r newid. Llwyddwyd i ddod o hyd i’r cyllid hwn gan fod y Llywodraeth wedi rheoli ei harian yn ofalus ac wedi gwneud defnydd doeth o’i chronfeydd wrth gefn a’i chyllidebau adrannol.

Rhaid diwygio’r rheoliadau presennol er mwyn cyflwyno’r newid hwn. Bydd y Llywodraeth hefyd yn achub ar y cyfle i godi rhai trothwyon ariannol yn y rheoliadau presennol a gwneud ychydig o fân addasiadau eraill, a hynny’n rhannol mewn ymateb i gymorth defnyddiol y Pwyllgor Materion Cyfansoddiadol a Deddfwriaethol wrth iddo graffu arnynt cyn y Nadolig.

Rhaid i awdurdodau lleol gwrdd â’r amserlen ar sawl achlysur yn y cyfnod cyn cyhoeddi biliau’r dreth gyngor, gan gynnwys yr angen i fabwysiadu cynllun Gostyngiadau’r Dreth Gyngor erbyn 31 Ionawr. Mae’n hanfodol, felly, fod y diwygiadau yn cael eu gwneud cyn gynted â phosibl. Os nad oes modd llunio’r rheoliadau diwygiedig mewn pryd, gallai awdurdodau orfod wynebu costau sylweddol iawn ar gyfer ailgyflwyno biliau’r dreth gyngor.

Mae’r Llywodraeth wedi gosod rheoliadau diwygio heddiw a bydd yn ceisio’u trafod yn y Cynulliad ddechrau’r wythnos nesaf, gyda chefnogaeth y Llywydd a’r Pwyllgor Busnes. Yn sgil yr amseriad, bydd hyn yn golygu atal y Rheolau Sefydlog. Ni fydd y newidiadau arfaethedig yn effeithio ar y Cymal Machlud a ychwanegwyd at y Rheoliadau ym mis Rhagfyr a bydd y Rheoliadau diwygiedig mewn grym yn ystod 2013\-14 yn unig.

Bydd y newidiadau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu gwneud i’r Rheoliadau yn gwella cryn dipyn ar sefyllfa ariannol yr aelwydydd agored i niwed hynny a fyddai wedi wynebu biliau uwch ar gyfer y dreth gyngor, yn ogystal â’r rheini a fyddai wedi gorfod cyfrannu at filiau’r dreth gyngor am y tro cyntaf.