Translate the text from English to Welsh.



 
Members will be aware of the programme of work being undertaken to introduce further reform to the arrangements for paying for social care and support in Wales. This is to make those arrangements fairer and more sustainable than at present. I now wish to update you on this reform.


The independent research study we commissioned last year, conduced by LE Wales, has been completed with the production of a second report. This second report identifies and appraises a set of possible options to introduce further reform of the arrangements for charging for both residential and non\-residential care and support. These options cover both potential reform of individual aspects of the existing arrangements, as well as more fundamental reform of the arrangements as a whole. Any reform which might be introduced would take place in the context of our initial reform introduced in 2011 whereby those receiving homecare and other community based care and support cannot currently be charged more than a maximum charge for this of £60 per week.


The Paying for Care Stakeholder Advisory Group, which was reconvened last autumn, has also concluded its considerations with the production of its own report. The Group considered a range of issues around the current charging arrangements and how these impact on those who are required to pay for their care and support. It also considered and provided its views on each of the potential options for further reform identified by LE Wales.


I have now had the opportunity to consider both reports in detail. I am impressed with the level and quality of the information and findings presented within each and would like, therefore, to put on record my gratitude to those involved in producing them. Both provide an evidence base to inform our thinking on the nature reform should take.  I am publishing both reports, which can be accessed online.


In considering the potential options for reform, however, there is a need to be clear on two key related issues which have the potential materially to influence the nature of the reform we take. These are:


 


* the uncertainty over the detail of the reform which may take place in England. The current UK Government has consulted on draft regulations and guidance to implement reform it wishes to see introduced from April 2016 but has made no announcement of the outcome of this in advance of the general election. Consequently, there remains uncertainty as to what reform may be introduced in England and what consequential funding may flow to Wales as a result of new funding being provided for this. This is important given the substantial funding involved with the potential reform options LE Wales identified;
* the future of welfare benefits and pensions reform. The current UK Government has made substantial changes to both the operation and level of welfare benefits and pensions in the UK.  Such incomes, in the main, provide the means from which a person meets any charge applied to the care and support they receive. Consequently, it will not be clear until after the general election what approach the future UK Government will take to this reform and its effect on the income of those in Wales in this position. Moreover, the whole future of welfare benefits in the UK has been called into question following the Smith Commission on future devolution in Scotland. This has added a further level of policy instability in this area.


  

Given this uncertainty, and the importance of this information, I have concluded that I will not be in a position to make an informed decision about what substantive reform to introduce in Wales until these matters are better resolved. . Given the timescales involved it will not be possible to introduce this reform from April 2016 as originally intended.     


 


Nevertheless, I am putting in place from April 2016 an updated financial assessment and charging framework under the Social Services and Well\-being (Wales) Act 2014\. This will strike a balance between protecting those care and support recipients on low financial means, while at the same time affording local authorities the ability to collect a contribution to the cost of providing this in order to maintain that provision. The framework will, in the main, consolidate existing arrangements but will strengthen them in several important areas to introduce greater clarity and consistency. Main elements of this framework will be:


 


* one set of financial assessment arrangements rather than the differing arrangements for charging for non\-residential and residential care and support which presently exist;
* maintaining the present weekly maximum charge and “buffer” for non\-residential care and support, as well as the current capital limit used to determine who pays the full cost of their residential care themselves;
* maintain the current individuals, or forms of care and support, for which a charge cannot be made, e.g. undertaking a financial assessment or six weeks free home care following a period in hospital;
* introduce in line with existing policies the ability for a local authority to charge a low level flat rate charge for prevention or assistance provided (the provision of information or advice is exempt from charging under the Act);
* introduce more transparency by extending the requirement for all those who receive a charge to receive a statement detailing this and its calculation;
* introduce a consistent, universal review process to enable a person to challenge charges made and correct errors;
* maintain deferred payments in residential care to enable those whose property may need to be sold to pay for this to delay the sale until a time more appropriate for them; and to introduce the ability of a local authority to charge a low set rate of interest on the amount deferred so as to help make such arrangements cost neutral to authorities.


  

I will consult shortly on the draft regulations and code of practice required under the Act to introduce such a framework, as part of the second tranche of public consultation on the regulations, codes and statutory guidance needed to implement the Act.


 


This new framework will pave the way for introducing further reform once the necessary clarity is available to do so.







Translation:


 
Bydd yr Aelodau’n ymwybodol o’r rhaglen waith sy’n cael ei rhedeg i wneud gwaith diwygio pellach ar y trefniadau ar gyfer talu am ofal a chymorth cymdeithasol yng Nghymru. Diben hyn yw gwneud y trefniadau hynny’n fwy teg a chynaliadwy nag ydynt ar hyn o bryd. Hoffwn roi’r diweddaraf i chi am y gwaith diwygio hwn.Mae’r astudiaeth ymchwil annibynnol a gomisiynwyd gennym y llynedd, a gynhaliwyd gan LE Wales, wedi cael ei chwblhau drwy lunio ail adroddiad. Mae’r ail adroddiad hwn yn nodi ac yn gwerthuso set o opsiynau posibl i wneud gwaith diwygio pellach ar y trefniadau ar gyfer codi tâl am ofal a chymorth preswyl ac amhreswyl fel ei gilydd. Mae’r opsiynau hyn yn cynnwys gwaith diwygio posibl ar agweddau unigol ar y trefniadau posibl, yn ogystal â gwaith diwygio mwy sylfaenol ar y trefniadau yn eu cyfanrwydd. Byddai unrhyw ddiwygio o’r fath yn digwydd yng nghyd\-destun ein gwaith diwygio cychwynnol a wnaed yn 2011 i sicrhau nad oes modd codi mwy nag uchafswm o £60 yr wythnos ar hyn o bryd ar y rheini sy’n derbyn gofal cartref a gofal a chymorth arall yn y gymuned.

Mae’r Grŵp Cynghori Rhanddeiliaid Talu am Ofal, a adalwyd yn yr hydref y llynedd, hefyd wedi cwblhau ei drafodaethau drwy lunio’i adroddiad ei hun. Ystyriodd y Grŵp amryw faterion ynghylch y trefniadau presennol ar gyfer codi tâl a sut y mae’r rhain yn effeithio ar y rheini sy’n gorfod talu am eu gofal a’u cymorth. Hefyd, ystyriodd a chyflwynodd ei safbwyntiau ei hun ar bob un o’r opsiynau posibl ar gyfer diwygio pellach a nodwyd gan LE Wales.

Bellach rwyf wedi cael y cyfle i ystyried y ddau adroddiad yn fanwl. Roedd manylder ac ansawdd yr wybodaeth a’r canfyddiadau yn y ddau adroddiad yn arbennig, ac felly hoffwn gofnodi fy niolchiadau i’r rheini a fu’n gweithio i’w llunio. Maent yn rhoi tystiolaeth i’n meddylfryd ar y math o waith ddiwygio a ddylai ddigwydd. Rwy’n cyhoeddi’r ddau adroddiad, ac maent ar gael ar lein.

Fodd bynnag, wrth ystyried yr opsiynau posibl ar gyfer diwygio, mae angen bod yn eglur ar ddau fater allweddol cysylltiedig sydd â’r potensial i gael dylanwad materol ar natur ein gwaith diwygio, sef:

* yr ansicrwydd ynghylch manylder y gwaith diwygio a allai ddigwydd yn Lloegr. Mae Llywodraeth bresennol y DU wedi ymgynghori ar reoliadau a chanllawiau drafft i wneud y diwygiadau y mae am eu gweld o fis Ebrill 2016, ond nid yw wedi gwneud unrhyw gyhoeddiad am ganlyniad hyn cyn yr etholiad cyffredinol. O ganlyniad, mae ansicrwydd o hyd ynghylch pa fath o ddiwygio fydd yn digwydd yn Lloegr a pha gyllid canlyniadau a ddaw i Gymru o ganlyniad i gyllid newydd ar gyfer hyn. Mae hyn yn bwysig o ystyried y cyllid sylweddol sydd ynghlwm â’r opsiynau diwygio posibl a nodwyd gan LE Wales;
* dyfodol diwygio budd\-daliadau lles a phensiynau. Mae Llywodraeth bresennol y DU wedi gwneud newidiadau sylweddol i weithrediad a lefel budd\-daliadau lles a phensiynau yn y DU. Incwm o’r fath yw sut mae pobl gan fwyaf yn talu unrhyw dâl am y gofal a’r cymorth y maent yn ei dderbyn. O ganlyniad, ni fydd yn eglur tan ar ôl yr etholiad cyffredinol pa fath o waith diwygio y bydd Llywodraeth y DU yn ei wneud, ac effaith hyn ar incwm y rheini sydd yn y sefyllfa hon yng Nghymru. Ar ben hyn, mae dyfodol budd\-daliadau lles yn y DU wedi cael ei gwestiynu yn dilyn y Comisiwn Smith ar ddyfodol datganoli yn yr Alban. Mae hyn yn creu mwy o ansefydlogrwydd o ran polisi yn y maes hwn.

O ystyried yr ansicrwydd hwn, a pha mor bwysig yw’r wybodaeth hon, rwyf wedi dod i’r casgliad na fydd modd i mi wneud penderfyniad gwybodus ynghylch pa waith diwygio parhaol i’w gychwyn yng Nghymru nes bod modd datrys y materion hyn yn well. O ystyried yr amserlenni dan sylw, ni fydd yn bosibl cychwyn y gwaith diwygio hwn ym mis Ebrill 2016 fel y bwriadwyd yn wreiddiol.     

Serch hynny, o fis Ebrill 2016 byddaf yn sefydlu fframwaith asesu a chodi tâl ariannol o fan Ddeddf Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus a Llesiant (Cymru) Act2014\. Bydd hyn yn cydbwyso rhwng diogelu’r rheini ar incwm isel sy’n derbyn gofal a chymorth, gan roi hyblygrwydd ar yr un pryd i awdurdodau lleol gasglu cyfraniad at y gost o ddarparu hyn er mwyn cynnal y ddarpariaeth honno. Bydd y fframwaith, gan fwyaf, yn cydgrynhoi trefniadau presennol, ond bydd yn eu cryfhau mewn sawl maes pwysig i’w gwneud yn fwy eglur a chyson. Dyma fydd prif elfennau’r fframwaith hwn:

* un set o drefniadau asesu ariannol yn lle’r gwahanol trefniadau sy’n bodoli ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer codi tâl am ofal a chymorth preswyl ac amhreswyl;
* cadw’r uchafswm wythnosol presennol a ‘byffer’ ar gyfer gofal a chymorth amhreswyl, yn ogystal â’r terfyn cyfalaf a ddefnyddir ar hyn o bryd i benderfynu pwy sy’n talu’r gost lawn am ofal preswyl;
* cadw’r rhestr bresennol o unigolion, neu fathau o ofal a chymorth, na ellir codi tâl amdanynt, e.e. gwneud asesiad ariannol neu ofal cartref am ddim am chwe wythnos ar ôl cyfnod yn yr ysbyty;
* yn unol â pholisïau cyfredol, galluogi awdurdod lleol i godi tâl ar gyfradd wastad isel ar gyfer darparu ataliaeth neu gymorth (mae’r Deddf yn eithrio darparu gwybodaeth neu gyngor);
* gwneud pethau’n fwy tryloyw drwy ymestyn y gofyniad i bawb y codir tâl arnynt dderbyn datganiad yn rhoi’r manylion a sut cafodd ei gyfrifo;
* cyflwyno proses adolygu gyson a chyffredinol i ganiatáu i berson herio taliadau a godir a chywiro gwallau;
* cadw taliadau wedi’u gohirio i ganiatáu gwerthu eiddo er mwyn talu am ofal preswyl tan adeg sy’n fwy addas, a galluogi awdurdod lleol i godi cyfradd isel o log ar y swm sy’n cael ei ohirio er mwyn helpu i wneud trefniadau o’r fath yn niwtral o ran cost i awdurdodau.

  
Byddaf yn ymgynghori’n fuan ar y rheoliadau a’r cod ymarfer drafft sy’n ofynnol o dan y Ddeddf i gyflwyno fframwaith o’r fath, fel rhan o’r ail tranche o ymgynghori cyhoeddus ar y rheoliadau, y codau a’r canllawiau statudol sy’n angenrheidiol i roi’r Ddeddf ar waith.Bydd y fframwaith newydd hwn yn arwain at waith diwygio pellach pan fydd pethau’n ddigon eglur i allu gwneud hynny.