English: A recent report by the Bevan Foundation on household debt in Wales found that tens of thousands of people across the country were living with problem debt long before the pandemic struck, but that the economic impact of COVID-19 had deepened that crisis. Across Wales, 130,000 households - that is, one in 10 of all households in Wales - were in arrears regarding a bill between January and May 2021. Over the same period, 230,000 households - 17 per cent of all households in Wales - had borrowed money. This has led to many households in Wales being pushed into poverty, having to go without the basics of daily life, and suffering from the stress and anxiety caused by poverty and debt. There is no doubt that this winter will be very difficult for so many households across Wales. The Tory Government in Westminster has betrayed the people of Wales. The financial pressures facing families have been exacerbated in many cases by the cruel decision to cut the £20 uplift in universal credit. Appeals from several quarters, including from the Welsh Government, to overturn that catastrophic cut have fallen on deaf ears. We believe that another measure that the Welsh Government could press the UK government to implement would be an extension of the rural fuel duty relief scheme for Wales. The scheme provides a discount of 5p per litre for fuel retailers in specific rural areas, but none of these are currently in Wales. This would ensure that people in rural areas are not forced to shoulder an unfair proportion of higher fuel costs. In the long term, of course, we need to invest more in public transport, especially in rural areas. Those most at risk of debt across Wales are all those already facing socioeconomic disadvantage, such as renters, disabled people, children, single parents, women, older people, care leavers, and households from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds. We should all know, given that we marked International Day of Disabled People with a debate in this Chamber yesterday, that disabled people face extra costs in their daily lives of over £500 a month. It is no surprise, therefore, that disabled people have been twice as likely to be in arrears over the pandemic. Over 20 per cent of disabled people in Wales were in arrears in the first half of this year, and nearly a quarter of disabled people had to borrow money to make ends meet over the same period. Barnardo's Cymru has also highlighted the financial challenges faced when care leavers transition to independent living, because setting up their own home can cause great anxiety for care leavers, with many having to take up payday loans to pay off debts, leading to a vicious cycle of financial difficulties.
Welsh: Canfu adroddiad diweddar Sefydliad Bevan ar ddyledion aelwydydd yng Nghymru fod degau o filoedd o bobl ledled y wlad yn byw mewn dyled broblemus ymhell cyn i'r pandemig daro, ond bod effaith economaidd COVID-19 wedi dyfnhau'r argyfwng hwn. Ledled Cymru, roedd 130,000 o aelwydydd - mae hynny yn un ym mhob 10 o holl aelwydydd Cymru - mewn dyled ar ryw fil rhwng Ionawr a Mai 2021. Dros yr un cyfnod, roedd 230,000 o aelwydydd - 17 y cant o'r holl aelwydydd yng Nghymru - wedi benthyca arian. Mae hyn wedi arwain at nifer o aelwydydd yng Nghymru yn cael eu gwthio i mewn i dlodi, yn gorfod mynd heb hanfodion bywyd bob dydd, ac yn dioddef o'r straen a'r pryder a achosir gan dlodi a dyled. Does dim dwywaith y bydd y gaeaf hwn yn anodd iawn i gymaint o aelwydydd ledled Cymru. Mae Llywodraeth y Torïaid yn San Steffan wedi bradychu pobl Cymru. Gwaethygwyd y pwysau ariannol sy'n wynebu teuluoedd mewn sawl achos gan y penderfyniad creulon i dorri'r codiad credyd cynhwysol o £20. Mae'r apêl o sawl cyfeiriad, gan gynnwys o Lywodraeth Cymru, i wyrdroi'r toriad trychinebus hwnnw wedi cwympo ar glustiau byddar. Credwn mai mesur arall y gallai Llywodraeth Cymru bwyso ar lywodraeth y Deyrnas Gyfunol i'w weithredu fyddai ymestyn y cynllun rhyddhad dyletswydd tanwydd gwledig i Gymru. Mae'r cynllun yn darparu gostyngiad o 5c y litr i werthwyr tanwydd mewn ardaloedd gwledig penodol, ond does yr un ohonynt yng Nghymru ar hyn o bryd. Byddai hyn yn sicrhau nad yw pobl mewn ardaloedd gwledig yn cael eu gorfodi i ysgwyddo cyfran annheg o gostau tanwydd uwch. Yn y tymor hir, wrth gwrs, mae'n rhaid buddsoddi mwy mewn trafnidiaeth gyhoeddus, yn enwedig mewn ardaloedd gwledig. Y rhai sydd fwyaf mewn perygl o ddyled ledled Cymru yw'r rhai sydd eisoes yn wynebu anfantais economaidd-gymdeithasol, wrth gwrs, fel rhentwyr, pobl anabl, plant, rhieni sengl, menywod, pobl hŷn, pobl sy'n gadael gofal, ac aelwydydd sy'n dod o gefndir du, Asiaidd a lleiafrifoedd ethnig. Dylai pob un ohonom ni wybod, yn sgil y ffaith inni nodi Diwrnod Rhyngwladol Pobl Anabl â thrafodaeth yn y Siambr hon ddoe, fod pobl anabl yn wynebu costau ychwanegol yn eu bywydau bob dydd o dros £500 y mis. Nid yw'n syndod felly fod pobl anabl wedi bod ddwywaith yn fwy tebygol o fod mewn ôl-ddyledion dros y pandemig. Roedd 20 y cant o bobl anabl yng Nghymru mewn ôl-ddyledion yn hanner cyntaf eleni, a bu'n rhaid i bron i chwarter o bobl anabl fenthyca arian i gael dau ben llinyn ynghyd dros yr un cyfnod. Mae Barnardo's Cymru hefyd wedi tanlinellu'r heriau ariannol sy'n cael eu hwynebu pan fydd ymadawyr gofal yn trosglwyddo i fyw'n annibynnol, oherwydd gall sefydlu eu cartref eu hunain achosi pryder sylweddol i ymadawyr gofal, gyda llawer yn gorfod cymryd benthyciadau diwrnod tâl i dalu dyledion sy'n arwain at gylch dieflig o anawsterau ariannol.