Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
Since the UK Government’s Welfare Reforms commenced in April 2011,  the Welsh Government have been proactive in helping Welsh people cope with the impacts.   This has included making approximately £3 million available to Local Authorities through its Homeless Prevention Fund to work with landlords and tenants to address benefit shortfalls and secure affordable accommodation.


The Discretionary Housing Payments Fund, which is  non\-devolved, enables  many tenants to receive temporary financial assistance when faced with a shortfall in their Housing Benefit entitlement. In 2015/16 the UK Government will reduce this  Fund from £7\.8 million to £6\.7 million and  the demands on an already strained fund are likely  to increase, which could ultimately lead to greater hardship.  


As a direct consequence of the UK Government’s spare room subsidy,  the demand for one and two bedroom properties has increased. Therefore, in 2013/14, the Welsh Government have invested  £20 million through the Social Housing Grant programme for the provision of smaller one and two bedroom homes.  An additional £5 million will be made available this financial year and a further £15 million is being made available in 2015/16\.


  

Following a request from the Social Rented Sector, a  Task and Finish Group was established in July 2014 to consider the UK Government’s proposal to introduce direct payment of housing costs within the existing Housing Benefit system. The Direct Payment Demonstration Projects have already shown that direct payments to tenants result in increased rent arrears. The Group, co\-ordinated and led by the Welsh Government, was tasked to consider ways in which direct payments could be implemented with minimal impact on rent arrears, therefore improving the likelihood of sustainable tenancies.


I asked the Group to prepare a report  to assess the potential impact of such a major change in the benefit system. The report Direct Payments and Sustainable Tenancies summarises the Welfare Reform Task and Finish Group’s consideration of the subject, its conclusions and suggestions for further action.  The latter includes spreading best practice across the social rented sector.


The Task and Finish Group has identified a number of important issues and I am grateful to its members for their work. We will draw the relevant recommendations to the attention of the Department for Work and Pensions, Local Authorities and Social Rented Sector Housing providers. I will carefully consider Welsh Government action arising from recommendation 14\.  In relation to recommendation 15 , regarding tenants’ choice on payment of benefit, I had already written to Lord Freud ahead of completion of this report and am awaiting his reply.  Welsh Government will continue to monitor all of these issues, take action where this falls within our remit, encourage stakeholders to assist tenants to cope with the changes and make further representations to the UK Government as required.


The report will be published on the Welsh Government internet site today.


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 


 







Translation:


 
Ers i ddiwygiadau lles Llywodraeth Prydain ddechrau ym mis Ebrill 2011, bu Llywodraeth Cymru yn broactif yn helpu pobl Cymru i ymdopi â'r effeithiau.  Mae hyn wedi cynnwys sicrhau bod oddeutu £3 miliwn ar gael i Awdurdodau Lleol drwy ei Chronfa Rhwystro Digartrefedd, i gydweithio â landlordiaid a thenantiaid i fynd i'r afael â'r diffyg yn y budd\-daliadau ac i sicrhau llety fforddiadwy.

Mae'r Gronfa Taliadau Tai yn ôl Disgresiwn, sydd heb ei datganoli, yn galluogi  tenantiaid newydd i dderbyn cymorth ariannol dros dro pan fyddant yn wynebu diffyg yn eu hawl am Fudd\-dal Tai.  Yn 2015/16 bydd Llywodraeth Prydain yn gostwng y Gronfa hon o £7\.8 miliwn i £6\.7 miliwn, ac mae'r galw ar y gronfa sydd eisoes dan bwysau yn debygol o gynyddu, a allai arwain at fwy o galedi hyd yn oed.

Fel canlyniad uniongyrchol i gymhorthdal ystafell sbâr Llywodraeth Prydain, mae'r galw am dai un a dwy lofft wedi cynyddu.  Felly, yn 2013/14, mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi buddsoddi £20 miliwn drwy'r rhaglen Grant Tai Cymdeithasol i ddarparu tai un a dwy lofft llai.  Bydd £5 miliwn yn ychwanegol ar gael yn ystod y flwyddyn ariannol hon a bydd £15 miliwn arall ar gael yn ystod 2015/16\.

Yn dilyn cais gan y Sector Rhentu Cymdeithasol, sefydlwyd Grŵp Gorchwyl a Gorffen ym mis Gorffennaf 2014 i ystyried polisi Llywodraeth Cymru ar gyflwyno taliadau uniongyrchol ar gyfer costau tai o fewn y system Budd\-daliadau Tai bresennol.  Mae'r Prosiectau Arddangos Taliadau Uniongyrchol eisoes wedi dangos bod taliadau uniongyrchol i denantiaid yn arwain at mwy o ôl\-ddyledion rhent.  Roedd y Grŵp, wedi'i drefnu a'i arwain gan Lywodraeth Cymru, i ystyried ffyrdd y gallai taliadau uniongyrchol gael eu gwneud gyda cyn lleied â phosib o effaith ar yr ôl\-ddyledion rhent, gan ei gwneud yn fwy tebygol o sicrhau tenantiaethau cynaliadwy.    

Gofynnais i'r Grŵp baratoi adroddiad i asesu effaith bosib newid mor fawr i'r system fudd\-daliadau.  Mae'r adroddiad Taliadau Uniongyrchol a Thenantiaethau Cynaliadwy yn crynhoi ystyriaethau y Grŵp Gorchwyl a Gorffen Diwygio Lles ar y pwnc, eu casgliadau ac awgrymiadau ar gyfer camau pellach i'w cymeryd.  Mae'r olaf yn cynnwys lledaenu arferion gorau ar draws y sector rhentu cymdeithasol.  

Mae'r Grŵp Gorchwyl a Gorffen wedi nodi nifer o faterion pwysig ac rwy'n ddiolchgar i'r aelodau am eu gwaith.  Byddwn yn tynnu sylw'r Adran Gwaith a Phensiynau, yr Awdurdodau Lleol a darparwyr tai y Sector Rhentu Cymdeithasol at yr argymhellion perthnasol.  Byddaf yn ystyried yn ofalus y camau y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn eu cymeryd o ganlyniad i argymhelliad 14\.  O ran argymhelliad 15, ynghylch dewis tenant o ran tâl budd\-dal, roeddwn eisoes wedi ysgrifennu at yr Arglwydd Freud, cyn cwblhau'r adroddiad hwn, ac rwy'n aros am ei ateb.  

Bydd Llywodraeth Cymru yn parhau i fonitro'r holl faterion hyn, yn cymeryd camau pan fydd hyn o fewn ein cylch gwaith, ac yn annog rhanddeiliaid i helpu tenantiaid i ymdopi â'r newidiadau, a chynnig sylwadau pellach i Lywodraeth Prydain fel y bo angen.

Cyhoeddir yr adroddiad ar safle rhyngrwyd Llywodraeth Cymru heddiw.