English: Having waited so long for a substantive response to the recommendations, it was therefore disappointing that the Welsh Government did not provide the detailed response we expected. They stated that, against the background of COVID and the uncertainty around the emergency changes to the benefits system, now is not the time to consider long-term changes to social security. Yet, the pandemic has laid bare the precarious nature of too many people's finances - a precariousness that is not through any fault of their own but because they simply do not earn enough money to cover basic outgoings. The traditional route out of poverty - work - has stalled. Before the pandemic, over half the people living in poverty were in households where at least one person was in work. So, I ask the Welsh Government: if not today, when will they take a comprehensive look and consider seeking the necessary powers so that Wales has control over those benefits that are best delivered and set here? We can already learn much from the Scottish experience. Clearly, it would not be easy and would come with risks, but as some of the stakeholders told us, sticking with the current status quo is also a considerable risk. We believe that the advantages of devolving some benefits are potentially so significant and could do so much to help support people in Wales out of poverty that it is worth being bold and seeking the relevant powers. It is also worth highlighting that devolution will take time and we should avoid any further delays in starting this journey. Moving on to the impact of the pandemic, there has been a significant increase in the numbers of people claiming benefits in Wales since the start of the lockdown. Between March and July, there was a 71 per cent increase in people in Wales receiving universal credit, and the Welsh Government's discretionary assistance fund has paid out over 52,000 coronavirus emergency payments since March. I am pleased that the Welsh Government has taken a more flexible approach to DAF applications, which have enabled more people to access those emergency funds. During our work looking at the impact of the pandemic, we've heard about the need for further changes that better support the most affected people in Wales. The recommendations we made in this report nearly a year ago have become even more important now. Our recommendations looked at both those changes that could be made within the current settlement as well as where further devolution may be required. As I have mentioned, it is disappointing that the Welsh Government has never really fully engaged with those later recommendations in our report. But I will now move on to changes that could be made within the current settlement. In relation to recommendations 1 through to 9, there has been more positive progress. However, there are some areas that I would like to seek further clarity on, and I will focus on those areas now. In recommendation 1, we call for the establishment of a coherent and integrated Welsh benefits system that encompasses all the means-tested benefits the Welsh Government is responsible for. I am pleased this recommendation was accepted. In their response, the Welsh Government highlighted their cross-Government review of programmes and services for children, young people and families living in poverty. In the Government's latest response, they state the review is nearly complete. Can the Deputy Minister outline when she expects this review to be published, and can she also give us a flavour of how this will help improve the coherence and integration of Welsh Government benefits? Recommendation 3 - call for the discretionary assistance fund to be available during the five-week wait for a universal credit payment and call for the criteria and application process to make this explicit. I am pleased that this recommendation has been implemented, but, as we noted in our report on COVID and equalities, published over the summer, we remain concerned that not everybody who may be eligible for that is aware they can apply. Concerns about awareness have been raised since 2015. In our COVID report, we recommended a rebranding of the discretionary assistance fund, and I look forward to the Government's response to that report in the coming week. In the Government's response to this report, the Deputy Minister highlights that, along with the First Minister, she has written to the UK Government about the universal credit five-week wait, calling for advances that are currently available as repayable loans to be made into non-repayable grants. Can the Deputy Minister update us on whether there has been any response from the UK Government on what further actions may be taken? One of the key themes we heard, both in this work and our subsequent work on COVID-19, was that there are too many people who are not claiming support they are eligible for. We therefore recommended action to improve take-up of all benefits, both devolved and non-devolved. We call for, at the very least, a wide-ranging and extensive public awareness campaign. The Welsh Government has emphasised the importance of the single advice fund in providing benefits advice and increasing take-up. They also highlight the work they've been doing with the Department for Work and Pensions on the underclaiming of benefits for older people. We welcome this, but we still believe that more action is essential. The need for such a campaign has actually increased since we first reported. We repeated this recommendation in our COVID report. The Bevan Foundation also called for such a campaign in their recent report on COVID and poverty. Does the Deputy Minister now accept these calls and will she commit to such an awareness-raising campaign? Before I close, I would also ask for an update from the Deputy Minister on the discussions with the UK Government to strengthen the Welsh voice in decisions on non-devolved benefits. Dirprwy Lywydd, I now look forward to hearing contributions from across the Senedd and the Deputy Minister's response. Diolch yn fawr.
Welsh: Ar ôl aros cyhyd am ymateb o sylwedd i'r argymhellion, roedd hi'n siomedig felly na ddarparodd Llywodraeth Cymru yr ymateb manwl roeddem yn ei ddisgwyl. Fe wnaethant nodi, yn erbyn cefndir COVID a'r ansicrwydd ynghylch y newidiadau brys i'r system fudd-daliadau, nad nawr yw'r amser i ystyried newidiadau hirdymor i nawdd cymdeithasol. Serch hynny, mae'r pandemig wedi amlygu natur ansicr sefyllfa ariannol gormod o lawer o bobl - ansicrwydd nad yw'n unrhyw fai arnynt hwy, ond sy'n deillio o'r ffaith nad ydynt yn ennill digon o arian i dalu am bethau sylfaenol. Mae'r llwybr traddodiadol allan o dlodi - gwaith - wedi'i rwystro. Cyn y pandemig, roedd dros hanner y bobl a oedd yn byw mewn tlodi mewn aelwydydd lle roedd o leiaf un unigolyn yn gweithio. Felly, gofynnaf i Lywodraeth Cymru: os nad heddiw, pa bryd y byddant yn edrych ar hyn mewn ffordd gynhwysfawr ac yn ystyried galw am y pwerau angenrheidiol fel bod gan Gymru reolaeth dros y budd-daliadau y gellir eu darparu a'u gosod orau yn y fan hon? Gallwn eisoes ddysgu llawer o brofiad yr Alban. Yn amlwg, ni fyddai'n hawdd a byddai'n dod â risgiau yn ei sgil, ond fel y dywedodd rhai o'r rhanddeiliaid wrthym, ceir risg sylweddol wrth aros gyda'r sefyllfa sydd ohoni hefyd. Credwn y gallai manteision datganoli rhai budd-daliadau fod mor sylweddol, a gallent wneud cymaint i helpu i gynorthwyo pobl yng Nghymru i godi allan o dlodi, fel ei bod yn werth bod yn feiddgar a cheisio'r pwerau perthnasol. Mae'n werth nodi hefyd y bydd datganoli yn cymryd amser a dylem osgoi unrhyw oedi pellach cyn dechrau'r siwrnai hon. Gan symud ymlaen at effaith y pandemig, bu cynnydd sylweddol yn nifer y bobl sy'n hawlio budd-daliadau yng Nghymru ers dechrau'r cyfyngiadau symud. Rhwng mis Mawrth a mis Gorffennaf, bu cynnydd o 71 y cant yn nifer y bobl yng Nghymru sy'n derbyn credyd cynhwysol, ac mae cronfa cymorth dewisol Llywodraeth Cymru wedi darparu dros 52,000 o daliadau brys coronafeirws ers mis Mawrth. Rwy'n falch fod Llywodraeth Cymru wedi mabwysiadu ymagwedd fwy hyblyg tuag at geisiadau i'r gronfa cymorth dewisol, gan alluogi mwy o bobl i gael mynediad at y cronfeydd brys hynny. Yn ystod ein gwaith yn edrych ar effaith y pandemig, clywsom am yr angen am newidiadau pellach sy'n gwneud mwy i gefnogi'r bobl yr effeithir arnynt fwyaf yng Nghymru. Mae'r argymhellion a wnaethom yn yr adroddiad hwn bron i flwyddyn yn ôl wedi dod yn bwysicach fyth bellach. Edrychodd ein hargymhellion ar y ddau newid y gellid eu gwneud o fewn y setliad presennol yn ogystal â lle gallai fod angen datganoli pellach. Fel y soniais, mae'n siomedig nad yw Llywodraeth Cymru wedi ymgysylltu'n llawn â'r argymhellion diweddarach hynny yn ein hadroddiad. Ond symudaf ymlaen yn awr at newidiadau y gellid eu gwneud o fewn y setliad presennol. Mewn perthynas ag argymhellion 1 i 9, gwelwyd cynnydd mwy cadarnhaol. Fodd bynnag, mae yna rai meysydd yr hoffwn gael rhagor o eglurder yn eu cylch, ac rwyf am ganolbwyntio ar y rhain yn awr. Yn argymhelliad 1, rydym yn galw am sefydlu system fudd-daliadau gydlynol ac integredig i Gymru sy'n cwmpasu'r holl fudd-daliadau prawf modd y mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gyfrifol amdanynt. Rwy'n falch fod yr argymhelliad hwn wedi'i dderbyn. Yn eu hymateb, tynnodd Llywodraeth Cymru sylw at eu hadolygiad trawslywodraethol o raglenni a gwasanaethau i blant, pobl ifanc a theuluoedd sy'n byw mewn tlodi. Yn ymateb diweddaraf y Llywodraeth, dywedant fod yr adolygiad bron â bod wedi'i gwblhau. A all y Dirprwy Weinidog amlinellu pa bryd y mae'n disgwyl i'r adolygiad hwn gael ei gyhoeddi, ac a all roi blas inni hefyd o sut y bydd hyn yn helpu i wella cydlyniad a'r gwaith o integreiddio budd-daliadau Llywodraeth Cymru? Argymhelliad 3 - galwad am i'r gronfa cymorth dewisol fod ar gael yn ystod y cyfnod aros pum wythnos am daliad credyd cynhwysol, a galwad am i'r meini prawf a'r broses ymgeisio egluro hyn yn glir. Rwy'n falch fod yr argymhelliad hwn wedi'i roi ar waith, ond fel y nodwyd gennym yn ein hadroddiad ar COVID a chydraddoldebau, a gyhoeddwyd dros yr haf, rydym yn parhau i bryderu nad yw pawb a allai fod yn gymwys i gael yr arian hwn yn ymwybodol y gallant wneud cais amdano. Mae pryderon ynglŷn ag ymwybyddiaeth wedi cael eu lleisio ers 2015. Yn ein hadroddiad ar COVID, gwnaethom argymell y dylid ailfrandio'r gronfa cymorth dewisol, ac edrychaf ymlaen at ymateb y Llywodraeth i'r adroddiad hwnnw yn yr wythnos i ddod. Yn ymateb y Llywodraeth i'r adroddiad hwn, mae'r Dirprwy Weinidog yn nodi ei bod hi, ynghyd â'r Prif Weinidog, wedi ysgrifennu at Lywodraeth y DU ynglŷn â'r cyfnod o bum wythnos cyn cael credyd cynhwysol, gan alw am droi blaendaliadau sydd ar gael ar hyn o bryd fel benthyciadau ad-daladwy yn grantiau nad oes angen eu had-dalu. A all y Dirprwy Weinidog roi'r wybodaeth ddiweddaraf ynglŷn ag a gafwyd unrhyw ymateb gan Lywodraeth y DU ar ba gamau pellach y gellir eu rhoi ar waith? Un o'r themâu allweddol a glywsom, yn y gwaith hwn a'n gwaith dilynol ar COVID-19, oedd fod gormod o bobl nad ydynt yn hawlio cymorth y maent yn gymwys i'w gael. Felly, gwnaethom argymell camau gweithredu i wella'r nifer sy'n hawlio'r holl fudd-daliadau, boed yn rhai datganoledig neu rai heb eu datganoli. Rydym yn galw, fan lleiaf, am ymgyrch gyhoeddus eang a phellgyrhaeddol i godi ymwybyddiaeth. Mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi pwysleisio pwysigrwydd y gronfa gynghori sengl sy'n darparu cyngor ar fudd-daliadau ac yn cynyddu'r nifer sy'n hawlio. Maent hefyd yn tynnu sylw at y gwaith y maent wedi bod yn ei wneud gyda'r Adran Gwaith a Phensiynau ar nifer y bobl hŷn nad ydynt yn hawlio budd-daliadau y maent yn gymwys i'w cael. Rydym yn croesawu hyn, ond rydym yn dal i gredu bod mwy o weithredu yn hanfodol. Mae'r angen am ymgyrch o'r fath wedi cynyddu ers i ni adrodd gyntaf. Gwnaethom ailadrodd yr argymhelliad hwn yn ein hadroddiad ar COVID. Galwodd Sefydliad Bevan hefyd am ymgyrch o'r fath yn eu hadroddiad diweddar ar COVID a thlodi. A yw'r Dirprwy Weinidog bellach yn derbyn y galwadau hyn, ac a wnaiff hi ymrwymo i ymgyrch o'r fath i godi ymwybyddiaeth? Cyn i mi gloi, hoffwn ofyn hefyd am ddiweddariad gan y Dirprwy Weinidog ar y trafodaethau gyda Llywodraeth y DU i gryfhau llais Cymru mewn penderfyniadau ar fudd-daliadau heb eu datganoli. Ddirprwy Lywydd, edrychaf ymlaen yn awr at glywed cyfraniadau o bob rhan o'r Senedd ac ymateb y Dirprwy Weinidog. Diolch yn fawr.