English: However, Dirprwy Lywydd, I understand the concerns that EMA has not increased for some time, and welcome the views that Members have expressed on where we can further improve our commitment to young people. I appreciate that young people are also very much feeling the financial strain of the current cost-of-living crisis. We are continuing to model what impact potential changes might have, including in terms of current and future financial commitments, and we will all want to ensure that any change would be meaningful and impactful as well as affordable. Despite our current serious financial limitations in considering an increase in the rate of EMA, we have expanded the eligible cohort to include some of the most vulnerable young people in Wales. This includes those impacted by Brexit, family members of those with protected immigration status, and young people fleeing the war in Ukraine. The process remains that all young people can apply for EMA at any point in the academic year and, where their family circumstances change, resulting in a drop in income, we encourage young people to apply for EMA with a current-year income assessment. Our schools and colleges work closely with their learners to ensure that they are receiving the support they're entitled to. We have exemptions to means testing for some our most vulnerable young people. Those in care and foster homes, those on certain benefits, those responsible for a child of their own and those in the youth justice system will all receive the weekly allowance without assessment. To further encourage applications and to simplify the process for young people, the Student Loans Company is developing a new system for applications to be made online and for supporting evidence to be uploaded. We anticipate that this will be ready for the academic year 2023-24 applications. The option for completing a paper application will also remain. As a means-tested grant, the application process does require a lot of information. Where a student may feel overwhelmed or discouraged by the application process, I would encourage them to speak to their learning centre who can help them complete the necessary forms and applications. We are not ourselves aware of any delays to processing of EMA applications, but do understand that incomplete applications may lead to a delay, and I'm grateful for the discussion I've had with Luke Fletcher in relation to some of the practical implications of EMA payment and have committed to work on any practical issues that are capable of being resolved. On the other hand, applications received within 13 weeks of the course start date will receive backdated payments to the start of the course, even if the evidence came in late, while applications received after that can still receive payment from the time they submit their applications. Students do need to have their attendance confirmed - as many Members have referred to in the debate - to the Student Loans Company by their course provider in order for payment to be released. But if they have missed a payment, they should speak to their learning centre. With the consent of the student, in addition to this, my officials can also speak to the Student Loans Company FE team to help progress any difficulties or delays with applications. It is important, in the way that Mike Hedges highlighted in his contribution, for young people to discuss their personal circumstances with their course tutor or their provider's EMA co-ordinator. Non-attendance does not always need to result in non-payment. The EMA scheme does permit discretion for those who are unable to maintain a consistent pattern of attendance, perhaps due to caring responsibilities or factors beyond their control, and we have recently issued a fresh reminder to all learning centres to highlight where that discretion can be applied and to ensure that students understand how they can approach them for additional support where needed. Young people in receipt of EMA can also access a range of additional support. Schools and colleges can offer loan ICT equipment and learning resources, removing the need for their EMA to be spent on essential course items. They may also be able to get free or subsidised transport during their course from their local authority. In addition, over £6 million is being provided to further education institutions for the academic year 2022-23 for the financial contingency fund. This aims to ensure that learners across Wales, including those in receipt of EMA, are not inhibited by financial constraints. For example, eligible learners can receive additional money towards course fees, course materials, childcare costs, food, and other study-related items. I'd like to thank Luke Fletcher for the debate and to the Labour and Plaid Cymru Members who have supported the motion and contributed to this important debate. To conclude, as a Government, we continue to respond to the current crisis with wide-reaching programmes of household support that will cushion our young people and their families on low incomes. The Government will support the motion today, recognising the limitations on our room for action but also the merits of a review. Recognising Jayne Bryant's contribution, I will be writing to the committee shortly in terms that I hope the committee will welcome. In the meantime, we will continue to use every single lever available to us to support our young people and ensure that we do all we can to reflect the principle that money should never be a barrier to accessing education.
Welsh: Fodd bynnag, Ddirprwy Lywydd, rwy'n deall y pryderon nad yw'r lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg wedi cynyddu ers peth amser, a chroesawaf y farn y mae Aelodau wedi'i mynegi ynghylch lle gallwn wella ein hymrwymiad i bobl ifanc ymhellach. Rwy'n sylweddoli bod pobl ifanc hefyd yn teimlo straen ariannol yr argyfwng costau byw presennol yn fawr iawn. Rydym yn parhau i fodelu pa effaith y gallai newidiadau posibl ei chael, gan gynnwys o ran ymrwymiadau ariannol presennol ac yn y dyfodol, a bydd pob un ohonom yn awyddus i sicrhau y byddai unrhyw newid yn ystyrlon ac yn effeithiol, yn ogystal â fforddiadwy. Er gwaethaf ein cyfyngiadau ariannol difrifol presennol wrth ystyried cynnydd yng nghyfradd y lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg, rydym wedi ehangu'r garfan gymwys i gynnwys rhai o'r bobl ifanc fwyaf agored i niwed yng Nghymru. Mae hyn yn cynnwys y rhai yr effeithiwyd arnynt gan Brexit, aelodau teuluol y rhai sydd â statws mewnfudo gwarchodedig, a phobl ifanc sy'n ffoi rhag y rhyfel yn Wcráin. Bydd pob person ifanc yn dal i allu gwneud cais am lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg ar unrhyw adeg yn y flwyddyn academaidd, a lle mae eu hamgylchiadau teuluol yn newid, gan arwain at ostyngiad mewn incwm, rydym yn annog pobl ifanc i wneud cais am lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg gydag asesiad incwm y flwyddyn gyfredol. Mae ein hysgolion a'n colegau'n gweithio'n agos gyda'u dysgwyr i sicrhau eu bod yn cael y cymorth y mae ganddynt hawl iddo. Mae gennym esemptiadau i brofion modd ar gyfer rhai o'n pobl ifanc mwyaf agored i niwed. Bydd y rheini mewn cartrefi gofal a chartrefi maeth, y rheini ar fudd-daliadau penodol, y rheini sy'n gyfrifol am eu plentyn eu hunain a'r rheini yn y system cyfiawnder ieuenctid oll yn cael y lwfans wythnosol heb asesiad. Er mwyn annog ceisiadau ymhellach ac i symleiddio'r broses ar gyfer pobl ifanc, mae'r Cwmni Benthyciadau i Fyfyrwyr yn datblygu system newydd ar gyfer ceisiadau i'w gwneud ar-lein ac ar gyfer uwchlwytho tystiolaeth ategol. Rydym yn rhagweld y bydd y system hon yn barod ar gyfer ceisiadau blwyddyn academaidd 2023-24. Bydd yr opsiwn ar gyfer cwblhau cais ar bapur hefyd yn parhau. Fel grant ar sail prawf modd, mae angen llawer o wybodaeth ar y broses ymgeisio. Os yw myfyrwyr yn teimlo eu bod wedi'i gorlethu neu'n digalonni oherwydd y broses ymgeisio, byddwn yn eu hannog i siarad â'u canolfan ddysgu gan y gallant eu helpu i lenwi'r ffurflenni a'r ceisiadau angenrheidiol. Nid ydym yn ymwybodol o unrhyw oedi wrth brosesu ceisiadau am y lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg, ond rydym yn deall y gall ceisiadau anghyflawn arwain at oedi, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar am y drafodaeth a gefais gyda Luke Fletcher mewn perthynas â rhai o oblygiadau ymarferol talu'r lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg ac ymrwymais i weithio ar unrhyw broblemau ymarferol y gellir eu datrys. Ar y llaw arall, bydd ceisiadau a ddaw i law o fewn 13 wythnos i ddyddiad cychwyn y cwrs yn cael taliadau wedi'u hôl-ddyddio i ddechrau'r cwrs, hyd yn oed os cyflwynwyd y dystiolaeth yn hwyr, tra gall ceisiadau a ddaw i law ar ôl hynny barhau i gael taliadau o'r amser y cyflwynant eu ceisiadau. Mae angen i ddarparwr cyrsiau gadarnhau presenoldeb myfyrwyr - fel y nododd llawer o Aelodau yn y ddadl - i'r Cwmni Benthyciadau i Fyfyrwyr er mwyn i'r taliad gael ei ryddhau. Ond os ydynt wedi methu taliad, dylent siarad â'u canolfan ddysgu. Gyda chaniatâd y myfyriwr, yn ogystal â hyn, gall fy swyddogion hefyd siarad â thîm addysg bellach y Cwmni Benthyciadau i Fyfyrwyr i fynd i'r afael ag unrhyw anawsterau neu oedi gyda cheisiadau. Mae'n bwysig, yn y ffordd y nododd Mike Hedges yn ei gyfraniad, fod pobl ifanc yn trafod eu hamgylchiadau personol gyda thiwtor eu cwrs neu gydlynydd lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg eu darparwr. Nid oes angen i absenoldeb arwain at golli taliad bob amser. Mae'r cynllun lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg yn caniatáu disgresiwn i'r rheini na allant gynnal patrwm presenoldeb cyson, efallai oherwydd cyfrifoldebau gofalu neu ffactorau y tu hwnt i'w rheolaeth, ac yn ddiweddar, rydym wedi cyhoeddi nodyn atgoffa newydd i bob canolfan ddysgu nodi lle gellir defnyddio'r disgresiwn hwnnw, a sicrhau bod myfyrwyr yn deall sut y gallant droi atynt am gymorth ychwanegol pan fo angen. Gall pobl ifanc sy'n cael y lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg hefyd gael mynediad at ystod o gymorth ychwanegol. Gall ysgolion a cholegau gynnig offer TGCh ac adnoddau dysgu ar fenthyg, gan ddileu'r angen i wario eu lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg ar eitemau hanfodol ar gyfer eu cwrs. Efallai y byddant hefyd yn gallu cael cludiant am ddim neu gludiant am bris gostyngol yn ystod eu cwrs gan eu hawdurdod lleol. Yn ogystal, mae dros £6 miliwn yn cael ei ddarparu i sefydliadau addysg bellach ym mlwyddyn academaidd 2022-23 ar gyfer y gronfa ariannol wrth gefn. Y nod yw sicrhau nad yw dysgwyr ledled Cymru, gan gynnwys y rheini sy'n cael y lwfans cynhaliaeth addysg, yn cael eu rhwystro gan gyfyngiadau ariannol. Er enghraifft, gall dysgwyr cymwys gael arian ychwanegol tuag at ffioedd cyrsiau, deunyddiau cyrsiau, costau gofal plant, bwyd, ac eitemau eraill sy'n gysylltiedig ag astudio. Hoffwn ddiolch i Luke Fletcher am y ddadl ac i'r Aelodau Llafur a Phlaid Cymru sydd wedi cefnogi'r cynnig ac wedi cyfrannu at y ddadl bwysig hon. I gloi, fel Llywodraeth, rydym yn parhau i ymateb i'r argyfwng presennol gyda rhaglenni pellgyrhaeddol o gymorth i aelwydydd a fydd yn cefnogi ein pobl ifanc a'u teuluoedd ar incwm isel. Bydd y Llywodraeth yn cefnogi'r cynnig heddiw, gan gydnabod y cyfyngiadau ar ein gallu i weithredu, a rhinweddau adolygiad hefyd. I gydnabod cyfraniad Jayne Bryant, byddaf yn ysgrifennu at y pwyllgor cyn bo hir mewn termau y gobeithiaf y bydd y pwyllgor yn eu croesawu. Yn y cyfamser, byddwn yn parhau i ddefnyddio pob ffordd sydd ar gael i ni i gefnogi ein pobl ifanc a sicrhau ein bod yn gwneud popeth a allwn i adlewyrchu'r egwyddor na ddylai arian byth fod yn rhwystr rhag cael mynediad at addysg.