English: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I was recently asked by a constituent of mine who is struggling to pay her bills, 'What's the point of Welsh Government if they can't help us?' It's a valid question, because what good is devolution if we are powerless to protect, at the very least, our most vulnerable citizens? The proposal before you is a way to make the powers that we do have, the resources that we can deploy, more efficient and effective by ensuring every pound - every Welsh pound of support on offer - reaches people's pockets as easily and quickly as possible. The deficiencies, disparities and, during the last decade of Tory Westminster rule, downright cruelty that characterises the UK welfare system have caused hardship for tens of thousands of Welsh people and has seen the Welsh Government forced to step in where Westminster has failed Wales. The Scotland Act 2016 gave Scotland new powers relating to social security, including responsibility over certain benefits, which the Scottish Government are using to create a Scottish social security system based on dignity, fairness and respect. Plaid Cymru have long campaigned for the devolution of the administration of welfare to Wales, and we're glad to be moving forward on this issue through our co-operation agreement with the Welsh Government. But, while we wait for progress on that ambition, the support available from Welsh coffers has rightly been fast multiplying and thus evolving into a whole patchwork of payments that are mainly, but not solely, delivered by local authorities. The payments are sometimes means tested, sometimes linked to certain benefits, with eligibility conditions varying, forms and regularity of payment differing, and modes of application mainly separate and often complicated. Let's take the schemes available to help with fuel bills as an example. In Wales, we have a winter fuel support scheme, recently renamed in its second roll-out from this September as the Welsh fuel support scheme. Eligible households on certain benefits between certain months can claim a one-off cash payment from their local authority. This is different to the winter fuel payment and the cold weather payment, which is offered by UK Government. The fuel voucher scheme is a new form of support to provide crisis help to those households that have to pay in advance for their energy, providing top-up vouchers for those on prepayment meters and a crisis service for households that are off gas. But you can't apply; households have to be referred. The discretionary assistance fund provides two types of grant, one of which, the emergency assistance payment, is available until the end of March to help off-gas households suffering financial hardship to top-up oil and LPG. Those who need emergency support to top-up gas and electricity prepayment meters can also get support, although, if you Google the DAF, you'll get to a Welsh Government page that makes no mention of this. Again, application has to be done through a support worker. So, you get the picture: different eligibility, different rules, different application processes. And this is all meant to help people who are in crisis, who, to be frank, have no headspace for navigating all this while they are worrying about how to keep their kids warm. And this is just support with fuel. The Bevan Foundation argues for the need for a Welsh system of devolved benefits and services. Its research into the way these Welsh Government and local authority support payments, allowances and grants were administered suggests that changes to individual schemes and their integration into a seamless system could increase their reach and impact. When it first made these calls, there were 12 different grants and allowances, each administered separately, so, even where eligibility criteria were the same, people had to apply for each type of support separately. As with the example I gave regarding fuel support payments, many more have been introduced or eligibility expanded since the start of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. And so the basis and argument for creating a single, seamless, integrated system has thus only increased. And support isn't support if you don't know it's there or are unable to access it. The latest survey by Children in Wales included this view from one practitioner who works with children and families: 'It is not enough to say people lack information about their entitlements. Many of the vulnerable people I see would not be able to navigate this complex system without a lot of ongoing support.' We should bear that in mind while noting that fewer than half of eligible households made an application for the first round of the winter fuel support scheme. Organisations such as Home Start Cymru, who work across 18 local authorities supporting families with children, agree the situation needs to be improved and simplified. At a recent meeting of the Senedd cross-party group on poverty, they shared views from their Caerphilly Supporting People project. One mother said she didn't know there was a deadline for applying for the cost-of-living payment and so missed out. Another said, 'I got a £326 payment in the other week. I'm not sure what it's for. But the reference on my bank account says it's just a number.' Staff shared how hard it is to support families with such a complex system to navigate. A common problem is being told by advisers they can't act on behalf of families to help solve things like council tax reduction claims; written permission is needed. And I think the following quotation from a support worker really crystallises the need for change as proposed by the motion: 'One of the people I supported was a single dad. Although he was receiving universal credit and relying on foodbanks, he had been paying the full amount of council tax for 14 months. I discovered advisers in council tax don't ask if you're on benefits.' We know that council tax arrears are the biggest debt problem for Welsh households. Linking the council tax reduction scheme with eligibility for universal credit would prevent people falling into debt. There would be benefits in terms of a reduction in administration costs and capacity freed up for local authorities and advisers to promote benefits, further boosting take-up. In answer to previous questions in the Senedd on ensuring maximisation and improvement of take-up, the Minister has pointed to the ongoing work, such as working with local authorities to explore how a single access point could be developed and the sharing of best practice by publishing a toolkit on how to simplify the application process. The Government has also said local authorities can passport those who are eligible for the council tax reduction scheme on to the Welsh fuel support scheme, but fewer than half of our local authorities are doing so. We need a whole-system, holistic approach. The Minister has spoken about the work going into creating a charter for delivering these payments. And I welcome the fact research is being undertaken by Policy in Practice, funded by multiple organisations, to look at how a common approach can be achieved that would result in that 'no wrong door' approach that we know is so vital and effective. My argument here is that a charter, which is essentially guidance, won't cut it. It won't avoid a postcode lottery; it won't avoid those holes in that crucial safety net. We need a firm statutory footing for a rights-based system that will ensure a coherence and effectiveness, and allow people to apply for all the support they are entitled to in one place. And in Wales, Welsh Government has regulatory powers over local government, so this really is achievable. There would be a cost to creating a system that speaks to all the systems it needs to, but the benefits are plain. Most importantly, it will help those who need every single penny of help to keep that heat on, to keep the light on, to keep children clothed and fed. Diolch.
Welsh: Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. Yn ddiweddar gofynnodd etholwr sy'n ei chael hi'n anodd talu ei biliau, 'Beth yw pwynt Llywodraeth Cymru os na allant ein helpu?' Mae'n gwestiwn dilys, oherwydd pa les yw datganoli os ydym yn ddi-rym i warchod ein dinasyddion mwyaf bregus fan lleiaf? Mae'r cynnig sydd o'ch blaen yn ffordd o wneud y pwerau sydd gennym, yr adnoddau y gallwn eu defnyddio, yn fwy effeithlon ac effeithiol drwy sicrhau bod pob punt - pob punt Gymreig o gefnogaeth sy'n cael ei chynnig - yn cyrraedd pocedi pobl mor hawdd a chyflym â phosibl. Mae'r diffygion, y gwahaniaethau, a dros y degawd diwethaf o reolaeth y Torïaid yn San Steffan, y creulondeb llwyr sy'n nodweddu system les y DU wedi achosi caledi i ddegau o filoedd o Gymry ac wedi arwain at orfodi Llywodraeth Cymru i gamu i'r adwy lle mae San Steffan wedi gwneud cam â Chymru. Rhoddodd Deddf yr Alban 2016 bwerau newydd i'r Alban mewn perthynas â nawdd cymdeithasol, gan gynnwys cyfrifoldeb dros fudd-daliadau penodol, y mae Llywodraeth yr Alban yn eu defnyddio i greu system nawdd cymdeithasol yn yr Alban yn seiliedig ar urddas, tegwch a pharch. Mae Plaid Cymru wedi ymgyrchu ers tro byd dros ddatganoli gweinyddu lles i Gymru, ac rydym yn falch o symud ymlaen ar y mater hwn drwy ein cytundeb cydweithio gyda Llywodraeth Cymru. Ond tra byddwn yn aros am gynnydd ar yr uchelgais hwnnw, mae'r cymorth sydd ar gael o goffrau Cymru wedi bod yn cynyddu'n gyflym ac felly'n esblygu'n glytwaith o daliadau a ddarparir yn bennaf gan yr awdurdodau lleol, er nad yn llwyr. Weithiau mae'r taliadau'n ddarostyngedig i brawf modd, weithiau'n gysylltiedig â budd-daliadau penodol, gydag amodau cymhwysedd amrywiol, gwahanol ffurflenni a rheoleidd-dra talu, a dulliau o wneud ceisiadau ar wahân i'w gilydd yn bennaf, dulliau sy'n aml yn gymhleth. Gadewch inni edrych ar y cynlluniau sydd ar gael i helpu gyda biliau tanwydd er enghraifft. Yng Nghymru, mae gennym gynllun cymorth tanwydd y gaeaf, a ailenwyd yn ddiweddar yn ei ail gyfnod cyflwyno o'r mis Medi hwn yn gynllun cymorth tanwydd Cymru. Gall aelwydydd cymwys ar fudd-daliadau penodol rhwng misoedd penodol hawlio taliad ariannol untro gan eu hawdurdod lleol. Mae hyn yn wahanol i'r taliad tanwydd y gaeaf a'r taliad tywydd oer sy'n cael ei gynnig gan Lywodraeth y DU. Mae'r cynllun talebau tanwydd yn fath newydd o gymorth i ddarparu cymorth mewn argyfwng i aelwydydd sy'n gorfod talu ymlaen llaw am eu hynni, gan ddarparu talebau ychwanegol i'r rhai ar fesuryddion rhagdalu a gwasanaeth argyfwng i aelwydydd nad ydynt ar y grid nwy. Ond ni allwch wneud cais; rhaid i aelwydydd gael eu cyfeirio. Mae'r gronfa cymorth dewisol yn darparu dau fath o grant, ac mae un ohonynt, y taliad cymorth mewn argyfwng, ar gael tan ddiwedd mis Mawrth i helpu aelwydydd nad ydynt ar y grid nwy sy'n dioddef caledi ariannol i dalu am olew ychwanegol ac LPG. Mae'r rhai sydd angen cymorth brys tuag at nwy ychwanegol a mesuryddion rhagdalu trydan yn gallu cael cymorth hefyd, ond os chwiliwch chi am y gronfa cymorth dewisol ar Google, fe gewch dudalen Llywodraeth Cymru nad yw'n crybwyll hyn o gwbl. Unwaith eto, rhaid i geisiadau gael eu gwneud drwy weithiwr cymorth. Felly, fe welwch sut mae pethau: amodau cymhwysedd gwahanol, rheolau gwahanol, prosesau gwahanol ar gyfer gwneud ceisiadau. Ac mae hyn i gyd i fod i helpu pobl sydd mewn argyfwng, sydd, i fod yn onest, heb fod yn y lle iawn yn feddyliol i fynd ar drywydd hyn i gyd tra'u bod yn poeni sut i gadw eu plant yn gynnes. A dim ond cymorth gyda thanwydd yw hyn. Mae Sefydliad Bevan yn dadlau dros yr angen am system fudd-daliadau Gymreig a gwasanaethau datganoledig. Mae ei ymchwil i'r ffordd y cafodd y taliadau cymorth, lwfansau a grantiau Llywodraeth Cymru ac awdurdod lleol hyn eu gweinyddu yn awgrymu y gallai newidiadau i gynlluniau unigol a'u hintegreiddio'n system ddi-dor gynyddu eu cyrhaeddiad a'u heffaith. Pan wnaeth y galwadau hyn am y tro cyntaf, roedd yna 12 grant a lwfans gwahanol, pob un yn cael eu gweinyddu ar wahân, felly, hyd yn oed pan oedd meini prawf cymhwysedd yr un fath, roedd rhaid i bobl wneud cais am bob math o gymorth ar wahân. Fel yn achos yr enghraifft a roddais ynghylch taliadau cymorth tanwydd, mae llawer mwy wedi'u cyflwyno neu gymhwysedd wedi'u ehangu ers dechrau'r pandemig a'r argyfwng costau byw. Ac felly dim ond cynyddu y mae'r sail a'r ddadl dros greu un system integredig ddi-dor. Ac nid yw cymorth yn gymorth os nad ydych chi'n gwybod ei fod yno neu os nad yw'n hygyrch. Roedd yr arolwg diweddaraf gan Plant yng Nghymru yn cynnwys y farn hon gan un ymarferydd sy'n gweithio gyda phlant a theuluoedd: 'Nid yw'n ddigon i ddweud bod pobl heb wybodaeth am yr hyn y gallan nhw ei hawlio. Fyddai llawer o'r bobl agored i niwed rwyf fi'n eu gweld yn methu cael hyd i ffordd trwy'r system gymhleth hon heb lawer o gefnogaeth barhaus.' Dylem gofio hynny wrth nodi bod llai na hanner yr aelwydydd cymwys wedi gwneud cais am rownd gyntaf y cynllun cymorth tanwydd y gaeaf. Mae mudiadau fel Home Start Cymru, sy'n gweithio ar draws 18 awdurdod lleol i gefnogi teuluoedd â phlant, yn cytuno bod angen gwella a symleiddio'r sefyllfa. Mewn cyfarfod diweddar o grŵp trawsbleidiol y Senedd ar dlodi, fe wnaethant rannu safbwyntiau o'u prosiect Cefnogi Pobl Caerffili. Dywedodd un fam nad oedd hi'n gwybod bod dyddiad cau ar gyfer gwneud cais am y taliad costau byw ac felly ei bod ar ei cholled. Dywedodd un arall, 'Cefais daliad o £326 i mewn yr wythnos o'r blaen. Nid wyf yn siŵr ar gyfer beth y mae. Ond mae'r cyfeiriad ar fy nghyfrif banc yn dweud mai dim ond rhif ydyw.' Rhannodd staff pa mor anodd yw cefnogi teuluoedd gyda system mor gymhleth i'w llywio. Un broblem gyffredin yw bod cynghorwyr yn dweud na allant weithredu ar ran teuluoedd i helpu i ddatrys pethau fel hawliadau gostyngiadau'r dreth gyngor; mae angen caniatâd ysgrifenedig. Ac rwy'n credu bod y dyfyniad canlynol gan weithiwr cymorth yn crisialu'r angen am newid fel y mae'r cynnig yn ei argymell: 'Tad sengl oedd un o'r bobl a gefnogais. Er ei fod yn cael credyd cynhwysol ac yn dibynnu ar fanciau bwyd, roedd wedi bod yn talu swm llawn y dreth gyngor ers 14 mis. Fe ganfyddais nad yw cynghorwyr y dreth gyngor yn gofyn a ydych chi ar fudd-daliadau.' Gwyddom mai ôl-ddyledion y dreth gyngor yw'r broblem ddyledion fwyaf i aelwydydd Cymru. Byddai cysylltu cynllun gostyngiadau'r dreth gyngor â chymhwysedd i gael credyd cynhwysol yn atal pobl rhag mynd i ddyled. Byddai manteision yn sgil gostwng costau gweinyddu a chapasiti'n cael ei ryddhau i awdurdodau lleol a chynghorwyr allu hyrwyddo budd-daliadau, gan roi hwb pellach i'r nifer sy'n eu cael. Wrth ateb cwestiynau blaenorol yn y Senedd ar wella a sicrhau bod y nifer mwyaf o bobl yn eu cael, nododd y Gweinidog y gwaith parhaus, megis gweithio gydag awdurdodau lleol i archwilio sut y gellid datblygu un pwynt mynediad a rhannu arferion gorau drwy gyhoeddi pecyn cymorth ar sut i symleiddio'r broses ymgeisio. Mae'r Llywodraeth hefyd wedi dweud y gall awdurdodau lleol sicrhau pasbort i'r rhai sy'n gymwys ar gyfer y cynllun gostyngiadau'r dreth gyngor i gynllun cymorth tanwydd Cymru, ond mae llai na hanner ein hawdurdodau lleol yn gwneud hynny. Mae angen dull cyfannol, system gyfan. Mae'r Gweinidog wedi siarad am y gwaith ar greu siarter ar gyfer darparu'r taliadau hyn. Ac rwy'n croesawu'r ffaith bod ymchwil yn cael ei wneud gan Policy in Practice, a ariennir gan sawl sefydliad, i edrych ar sut y gellir cyflawni dull cyffredin a fyddai'n arwain at ddull 'dim drws anghywir' y gwyddom ei fod mor hanfodol ac effeithiol. Fy nadl i yn hyn o beth yw na fydd siarter, sef canllawiau i bob pwrpas, yn ddigon. Ni fydd yn osgoi loteri cod post; ni fydd yn osgoi'r tyllau yn y rhwyd ddiogelwch hollbwysig honno. Mae angen troedle statudol cadarn ar gyfer system sy'n seiliedig ar hawliau a fydd yn sicrhau cydlyniad ac effeithiolrwydd, ac yn caniatáu i bobl wneud cais am yr holl gymorth y mae ganddynt hawl i'w gael mewn un lle. Ac yng Nghymru, mae gan Lywodraeth Cymru bwerau rheoleiddio dros lywodraeth leol, felly mae modd cyflawni hyn. Byddai cost i greu system sy'n siarad â'r holl systemau sydd angen iddi siarad â hwy, ond mae'r manteision yn amlwg. Yn bwysicaf oll, bydd yn helpu'r rhai sydd angen pob un geiniog o help i gadw'r gwres ymlaen, i gadw'r golau ymlaen, i roi dillad am y plant a bwyd yn eu boliau. Diolch.