English: Unfortunately, in my opinion and that of my party at least, Westminster continues to be largely responsible for the measures that could really help us tackle debt and payment defaults, as well as the increased cost of living. It does concern me a great deal that we have a Prime Minister and a Conservative Government in Westminster that have, time and time again, demonstrated that they don't care a jot about the most vulnerable people in Wales, by introducing cruel measures that have a disproportionate impact on them, such as increasing national insurance contributions and cutting the universal credit uplift. But, as we do everything within our power to press for the full devolution of welfare and taxation to Wales, the Welsh Government must do everything within its current powers to address the problems that debt creates for households across Wales. A key way of doing this would be through supporting people in debt to devolved public services, and I was pleased to see Jenny Rathbone talking about council tax in particular. The fact that this is one of the main forms of debt mentioned when people contacted StepChange and Citizens' Advice during the pandemic does mean that we have to tackle this issue. Jenny Rathbone noted that extraordinarily frightening figure, namely that council tax debt had increased to £157 million in 2020-21, which is an increase of £46.4 million as compared to the previous year, the biggest single increase in 20 years. But our public bodies shouldn't be creating more debt for people, and I hope today that we can all agree that we should be helping to prevent debt from arising in the first place, or preventing debt from becoming unmanageable. There are things that the Welsh Government could take action on in this regard and ensure that our councils adopt progressive policies to manage debt. Such a policy could ensure that councils identify and support households facing financial problems effectively, as well as preventing some of the cruel practices deployed by bailiffs, and preventing bailiff fees and legal fees from accumulating and increasing for those who are unable to pay them. Citizens' Advice found that a number of their clients had faced difficulties in agreeing affordable council tax repayment plans, and that some had been belittled and intimidated by bailiffs, despite being unable to make repayments or demonstrating signs of vulnerability. This is not right. I'd also like to emphasise the impact that this has on individuals, something that can't be overstated, in terms of their physical and mental health. Living in a home without heat as a result of fuel poverty can lead to or exacerbate a number of serious medical conditions such as heart attacks, stroke, bronchitis and asthma, while uncertainty regarding food can lead to malnourishment, which is related to other health issues. Inevitably, therefore, debt, financial uncertainty and poverty often lead to poor mental health, leading people to feel that their lives are entirely out of their control, which can also lead to feelings of hopelessness, embarrassment, guilt, depression and anxiety. The social stigma associated with debt can also lead to individuals feeling isolated, meaning that they keep their problems to themselves to an extent that any support they do receive is inadequate. We all, therefore, have a responsibility as Members of this Senedd to do everything within our power to support our constituents, and that's why I am today pleased to have this opportunity to contribute to this debate and support the committee's report. Action and support are urgently needed, and I very much hope that we can send a clear message to everyone suffering as a result of debt that support is available, and that we will do everything we can in Wales to improve their situation.
Welsh: Yn anffodus, yn fy marn i a fy mhlaid o leiaf, San Steffan sydd yn parhau yn bennaf gyfrifol o ran y mesurau all fynd i'r afael o ddifrif gyda dyled a methdaliad, ynghyd â chostau byw cynyddol. Ac mae yn fy mhryderu yn fawr fod gennym Brif Weinidog a Llywodraeth Geidwadol yn San Steffan sydd dro ar ôl tro wedi dangos nad ydynt yn hidio dim am y bobl mwyaf bregus yng Nghymru, drwy gyflwyno mesurau creulon sydd yn cael effaith anghymesur arnynt, megis drwy gynyddu'r cyfraniadau yswiriant gwladol a thorri'r taliadau credyd cynhwysol. Ond tra'n gwneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i wthio am ddatganoli lles a threthi'n llawn i Gymru, rhaid i Lywodraeth Cymru wneud popeth o fewn ei grym presennol i unioni'n broblem mae dyledion yn ei greu i aelwydydd ledled Cymru. Ffordd allweddol o wneud hyn fydd drwy gefnogi pobl gyda dyledion i sefydliadau gwasanaethau cyhoeddus sydd yn ddatganoledig, ac mi oeddwn i'n falch o weld Jenny Rathbone yn sôn am y dreth gyngor yn benodol. Mae'r ffaith bod hon yn un o'r prif ddyledion y cysylltodd pobl gyda StepChange a hefyd Cyngor ar Bopeth ynglŷn â nhw yn ystod y pandemig yn golygu bod yn rhaid inni fynd i'r afael â hyn. Fe nododd Jenny Rathbone y ffigur anhygoel o frawychus hwnnw, sef y ffaith bod dyled treth gyngor wedi codi i £157 miliwn yn 2020-21, sef cynnydd o £46.4 miliwn o'i gymharu â'r flwyddyn flaenorol, y cynnydd unigol mwyaf ers dros 20 mlynedd. Ond ni ddylai ein cyrff cyhoeddus fod yn creu mwy o ddyled i bobl, a gobeithio heddiw y gallwn fod yn gytûn y dylem fod yn helpu i atal dyled rhag digwydd yn y lle cyntaf, neu rhag dod yn anhylaw. Mae yna bethau y gall Llywodraeth Cymru weithredu yn hyn o beth, a sicrhau bod ein cynghorau ni'n mabwysiadu polisïau blaengar i reoli dyledion. Gallai polisi o'r fath gynnwys sicrhau bod cynghorau'n nodi ac yn cynorthwyo aelwydydd sy'n wynebu problemau ariannol yn effeithiol, yn ogystal â chael gwared ar rai o arferion creulon beilïaid, ac atal ffioedd beilïaid a chyfreithiol rhag cronni a chynyddu i'r rhai sy'n methu â'u talu. Canfu Cyngor ar Bopeth fod nifer o'u cleientiaid wedi cael anhawster i gytuno ar gynlluniau ad-dalu treth gyngor fforddiadwy, a bod rhai wedi bod yn destun ymddygiad ymosodol a bychanus gan feilïaid, er gwaethaf methu â gwneud ad-daliadau neu ddangos arwyddion o fregusrwydd. Nid yw hyn yn iawn. Hoffwn hefyd bwysleisio yr effaith mae hyn yn ei gael ar unigolion, rhywbeth na ellir ei or-bwysleisio, o ran eu hiechyd corfforol a meddyliol. Mae byw mewn tŷ heb wres oherwydd tlodi tanwydd yn medru creu neu waethygu llu o gyflyrau iechyd difrifol megis trawiad ar y galon, strôc, broncitis ac asthma, tra gall ansicrwydd o ran bwyd arwain at danfaethiad sy'n gysylltiedig â phroblemau iechyd eraill. Yn anorfod felly, mae dyled, ansicrwydd ariannol a thlodi hefyd yn aml yn creu iechyd meddwl gwael, gan arwain i bobl deimlo bod eu bywydau yn gyfan gwbl allan o reolaeth, a sbarduno teimladau o anobaith, embaras, euogrwydd, iselder a phryder. Mae'r stigma cymdeithasol sy'n gysylltiedig â dyled hefyd yn arwain unigolion i deimlo wedi eu hynysu, gan gadw eu problemau iddyn nhw eu hunain, gan olygu bod y cymorth maent yn ei dderbyn yn annigonol. Mae cyfrifoldeb arnom oll felly fel Aelodau o'r Senedd hon i wneud popeth o fewn ein gallu i gefnogi ein etholwyr, a dyna pam heddiw fy mod yn falch o'r cyfle i siarad yn y ddadl a chefnogi adroddiad y pwyllgor. Mae angen gweithredu a chefnogaeth frys, a gobeithiaf yn fawr y gallwn yrru neges glir i bawb sy'n dioddef gyda dyledion heddiw fod cefnogaeth ar gael, ac mi wnawn ni bopeth o fewn ein gallu yma yng Nghymru i wella eu sefyllfa.