English: Awareness of the financial support that is available, be it devolved or non-devolved, is increasing in households across Wales due to the success of campaigns like 'Claim what's yours'. Over 9,000 people are so far being helped to claim over £2.6 million of additional income in the latest reports, and I do thank our partners, including local authorities, for their support for our drive together to encourage people across Wales to claim their entitlements by promoting our campaign materials. But whilst we are doing excellent work together to raise awareness, I recognise there is more that we can do to streamline the Welsh benefits system, and that is where we are focusing our actions. At present, a person will often have to complete multiple forms that ask for similar information but need to be sent to different departments. I know that this deters people from accessing their entitlements, and that's why the Welsh Government and our partners are absolutely committed to a shared vision of a Welsh benefits system that has that single point of contact, where an individual only has to tell their story once. The Centre for Digital Public Services is working with my officials to undertake exploratory work and identify solutions that will allow for a cohesive, unified system, and I do welcome the separate research being led by the Bevan Foundation on the barriers to take-up of Welsh benefits. However, whilst we work towards this goal, we're continuing to deliver improvements. We're determined to ensure that the approach taken to administering Welsh benefits is a person-centred and compassionate one, based on rights and entitlements. The work we're undertaking to simplify the Welsh benefits system is supporting our co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru for the devolution of the administration of welfare and the exploration of the necessary infrastructure required to prepare for this. An essential element of this work is the benefits charter, an underpinning set of principles for the Welsh benefits system that we produced with stakeholders from our income maximisation group. We're now taking forward our charter from inception to implementation by engaging with people who claim Welsh benefits and delivery partners. Complementing the benefits charter is our best practice toolkit for local authorities, which provides practical tips and guidance on the administration of Welsh benefits. We've developed that toolkit in partnership with local authorities, drawing on their practical and operational experience. We believe it's most appropriate to work collaboratively with our local government colleagues to deliver the toolkit effectively, and we are working with them to share and exchange good practice in the take-up of benefits in Wales. We've recently seen many examples of best practice, of new payments being delivered by local authorities, notably with the automation of the £150 cost-of-living payment, which in many cases was sent directly to eligible individuals without them needing to make an application - an approach that has now been adopted by authorities under the current Welsh Government fuel support scheme. As Jenny Rathbone has said, more than 185,000 payments have already been paid in less than a month. So, I do extend my gratitude to all involved, whether working on the front line helping individuals to claim Welsh benefits, or responsible for administering those benefits, for their ongoing commitment to ensuring that people across Wales are able to claim what's available to them. That is where we're focusing our efforts. Finally, Dirprwy Lywydd, I can't speak at a debate on benefits without mentioning the households across Wales who are facing daily financial struggles, with the highest level of inflation for over 40 years. I know all Members of the Senedd across the Chamber will join my call for the Chancellor to do the right thing and confirm that they will not break their previous promises, and will uprate all social security benefits by 10.1 per cent from April next year. Diolch.
Welsh: Mae ymwybyddiaeth o'r cymorth ariannol sydd ar gael, boed wedi'i ddatganoli neu heb ei ddatganoli, yn cynyddu mewn cartrefi ar draws Cymru oherwydd llwyddiant ymgyrchoedd fel 'Hawliwch yr hyn sy'n ddyledus i chi'. Mae dros 9,000 o bobl hyd yma yn cael cymorth i hawlio dros £2.6 miliwn o incwm ychwanegol yn yr adroddiadau diweddaraf, ac rwy'n diolch i'n partneriaid, gan gynnwys awdurdodau lleol, am eu cefnogaeth i'n hymgyrch gyda'n gilydd i annog pobl ledled Cymru i hawlio'r hyn y mae ganddynt hawl iddo drwy hyrwyddo ein deunyddiau ymgyrchu. Ond er ein bod yn gwneud gwaith rhagorol gyda'n gilydd i godi ymwybyddiaeth, rwy'n cydnabod bod mwy y gallwn ei wneud i symleiddio system fudd-daliadau Cymru, a dyna lle rydym yn canolbwyntio ein gweithredoedd. Ar hyn o bryd, bydd unigolion yn aml yn gorfod llenwi sawl ffurflen sy'n gofyn am wybodaeth debyg ond sydd angen eu hanfon at adrannau gwahanol. Rwy'n gwybod bod hyn yn rhwystro pobl rhag manteisio ar eu hawliau, a dyna pam y mae Llywodraeth Cymru a'n partneriaid yn gwbl ymrwymedig i weledigaeth gyffredin o system fudd-daliadau Gymreig sydd ag un pwynt cyswllt, lle nad oes raid i unigolyn ddweud ei stori fwy nag unwaith. Mae'r Ganolfan Gwasanaethau Cyhoeddus Digidol yn gweithio gyda fy swyddogion i wneud gwaith archwilio a nodi atebion a fydd yn caniatáu ar gyfer system gydlynol, unedig, ac rwy'n croesawu'r ymchwil ar wahân sy'n cael ei harwain gan Sefydliad Bevan ar y rhwystrau rhag hawlio budd-daliadau Cymreig. Fodd bynnag, tra byddwn yn gweithio tuag at y nod hwn, rydym yn parhau i gyflawni gwelliannau. Rydym yn benderfynol o sicrhau bod y dull o weinyddu budd-daliadau Cymreig yn un sy'n canolbwyntio ar yr unigolyn ac yn dosturiol, yn seiliedig ar hawliau. Mae'r gwaith a wnawn i symleiddio system fudd-daliadau Cymru yn cefnogi ein cytundeb cydweithio gyda Phlaid Cymru ar ddatganoli gweinyddu lles ac archwilio'r seilwaith angenrheidiol sydd ei angen i baratoi ar gyfer hyn. Elfen hanfodol o'r gwaith hwn yw'r siarter fudd-daliadau, cyfres sylfaenol o egwyddorion ar gyfer system fudd-daliadau Gymreig y gwnaethom ei chreu gyda rhanddeiliaid o'n grŵp uchafu incwm. Rydym bellach yn bwrw ymlaen â'n siarter o'r cychwyn cyntaf hyd at ei gweithrediad drwy ymgysylltu â phobl sy'n hawlio budd-daliadau Cymreig a phartneriaid cyflawni. I gyd-fynd â siarter fudd-daliadau, mae gennym becyn cymorth arferion gorau ar gyfer awdurdodau lleol, sy'n cynnig awgrymiadau ymarferol ac arweiniad ar weinyddu budd-daliadau Cymreig. Rydym wedi datblygu'r pecyn cymorth hwnnw mewn partneriaeth ag awdurdodau lleol, gan ddefnyddio'u profiad ymarferol a gweithredol. Credwn mai gweithio ar y cyd â'n cydweithwyr llywodraeth leol yw'r ffordd fwyaf priodol o gyflwyno'r pecyn cymorth yn effeithiol, ac rydym yn gweithio gyda hwy i rannu a chyfnewid arferion da i hybu'r nifer sy'n manteisio ar fudd-daliadau yng Nghymru. Yn ddiweddar, gwelsom nifer o enghreifftiau o arferion gorau, o daliadau newydd yn cael eu darparu gan awdurdodau lleol, yn fwyaf arbennig gydag awtomeiddio'r taliad costau byw o £150, a anfonwyd yn uniongyrchol at unigolion cymwys mewn llawer o achosion heb fod angen iddynt wneud cais - dull sydd bellach wedi'i fabwysiadu gan awdurdodau o dan gynllun cymorth tanwydd presennol Llywodraeth Cymru. Fel y dywedodd Jenny Rathbone, mae dros 185,000 o daliadau eisoes wedi eu talu mewn llai na mis. Felly, rwy'n ddiolchgar i bawb sydd wedi bod yn rhan o hyn, boed yn gweithio ar y rheng flaen yn helpu unigolion i hawlio budd-daliadau Cymreig, neu'n gyfrifol am weinyddu'r budd-daliadau hynny, am eu hymrwymiad parhaus i sicrhau bod pobl ledled Cymru yn gallu hawlio'r hyn sydd ar gael iddynt. Dyna lle rydym yn canolbwyntio ein hymdrechion. Yn olaf, Ddirprwy Lywydd, ni allaf siarad mewn dadl ar fudd-daliadau heb sôn am yr aelwydydd ledled Cymru sy'n wynebu trafferthion ariannol dyddiol, gyda'r lefel uchaf o chwyddiant ers dros 40 mlynedd. Rwy'n gwybod y bydd holl Aelodau'r Senedd ar draws y Siambr yn ymuno â'm galwad ar y Canghellor i wneud y peth iawn a chadarnhau na fyddant yn torri eu haddewidion blaenorol, ac y byddant yn uwchraddio'r holl fudd-daliadau nawdd cymdeithasol 10.1 y cant o fis Ebrill y flwyddyn nesaf. Diolch.