English: Thank you, Deputy Llywydd, and I thank Members for their contributions in this debate. I share Members' concern regarding the devastating impact the roll-out of universal credit is having on vulnerable people here in Wales and across the UK. We are deeply concerned about the UK Government's relentless welfare cuts and how they're having an impact on low-income families, particularly those with children. I have repeatedly expressed our concerns to the UK Government, and have written calling for the roll out of universal credit to be paused. Llywydd, I welcome the belated decision by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions last week to make the universal credit call line free from next month. The length of time people have to wait before they receive their first payment of universal credit - some six weeks or more - is one of the biggest issues affecting people moving on to universal credit, and I'm grateful for Angela Burns's contribution yesterday; she's absolutely honest and right in what she wrote. Most worrying is that, for those new universal credit claimants who are seeking vital support for their housing costs, many will not be able to afford to pay their rent to their landlord until the first payment is received. Local authorities where universal credit full services are already in operation are seeing increases in rent for many tenants, and this is causing, or exacerbating, debt problems for those most in need of support, and has serious consequences, Llywydd, for many people who face eviction as a result of not having any money to pay their rent. We hear from the UK Government that claimants can request an alternative payment arrangement to ensure that their first housing costs are paid direct to their landlords. I'm not convinced the current processes are secure enough, though, or flexible enough to ensure that this happens for the most at risk of not paying their housing, with the risk of eviction and homelessness. Mark Isherwood eloquently quoted me a part of what I said about universal principles over how this operates. The introduction of universal credit wasn't wrong - he's right in what he says there - but he didn't finish off what I said about the universal principles were okay, but, actually, the system is flawed, it doesn't work, and it's having a desperate effect on our communities, and that's why we need to halt. Our most vulnerable people, who are already trying to cope with the difficult, complex circumstances in their lives, now find themselves having to go through the additional obstacle to get access to this urgent support through universal credit. The Secretary of State promised on 2 October that this waiting time would be reduced for people when making a claim for universal credit by requesting immediate same-day payments for some of the money or asking for a 50 per cent advance payment. I do not consider that this quick fix is sustainable as a permanent solution for vulnerable claimants who might already now be in debt, and this borrowing could well plunge them further into the abyss of debt. It's not working. It needs to be stopped. As a matter of urgency, the UK Government needs to significantly reduce the waiting time for the first payment, getting rid of the seven-day waiting period and changing the default position for those with housing costs to be paid direct to the landlord. They also need to reinstate two-weekly payments for those who require more regular payments. I listened to the contribution by Plaid Cymru Members. The fact here is that the UK Government can do this. They can reduce the waiting time. They can reinstate the two-weekly payments. The system that's operating in Scotland is exactly the same system that is operating in England and Wales. It's just a trigger on the machine. [Interruption.] Of course I'll give way.
Welsh: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, a diolch i'r Aelodau am eu cyfraniadau yn y ddadl hon. Rwy'n rhannu pryder yr Aelodau ynglŷn â'r effaith ddinistriol y mae'r broses o gyflwyno credyd cynhwysol yn ei chael ar bobl agored i niwed yma yng Nghymru ac ar draws y DU. Rydym yn bryderus iawn am doriadau lles di-baid Llywodraeth y DU a sut y maent yn effeithio ar deuluoedd incwm isel, yn enwedig y rhai sydd â phlant. Rwyf wedi mynegi dro ar ôl tro ein pryderon wrth Lywodraeth y DU, ac wedi ysgrifennu yn galw am oedi'r broses o gyflwyno'r credyd cynhwysol. Llywydd, rwy'n croesawu'r penderfyniad hwyr gan yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol dros Waith a Phensiynau yr wythnos diwethaf i wneud y llinell gymorth credyd cynhwysol yn ddi-dâl o fis nesaf ymlaen. Mae'r amser y mae pobl yn gorfod aros cyn derbyn eu taliad credyd cynhwysol cyntaf - oddeutu chwe wythnos neu fwy - yn un o'r materion mwyaf sy'n effeithio ar bobl sy'n symud ymlaen at gredyd cynhwysol, ac rwy'n ddiolchgar am gyfraniad Angela Burns ddoe; mae hi'n hollol onest ac yn gywir yn yr hyn a ysgrifennodd. Yr hyn sy'n peri fwyaf o bryder, yw na fydd nifer o'r rhai sy'n hawlio credyd cynhwysol o'r newydd ac sy'n ceisio cael cymorth hanfodol tuag at eu costau tai yn gallu fforddio talu eu rhent i'w landlord hyd nes y daw'r taliad cyntaf i law. Mae awdurdodau lleol lle y mae gwasanaethau credyd cynhwysol llawn eisoes yn weithredol yn gweld cynnydd yn y rhent i nifer o denantiaid, ac mae hyn yn achosi, neu'n gwaethygu, problemau dyled i'r rhai sydd fwyaf o angen cymorth, ac yn arwain at ganlyniadau difrifol, Llywydd, i lawer o bobl sy'n wynebu cael eu troi allan o ganlyniad i'r ffaith nad oes ganddynt arian i dalu eu rhent. Rydym yn clywed gan Lywodraeth y DU y gall hawlwyr ofyn am drefniant talu amgen i sicrhau bod eu costau tai cyntaf yn cael eu talu'n uniongyrchol i'w landlordiaid. Nid wyf yn argyhoeddedig fod y prosesau presennol yn ddigon cadarn, fodd bynnag, na'n ddigon hyblyg i sicrhau bod hyn yn digwydd i'r rhai sydd fwyaf mewn perygl o beidio â thalu eu costau tai, gyda'r risg o gael eu troi allan a digartrefedd. Dyfynnodd Mark Isherwood yn huawdl ran o'r hyn a ddywedais am egwyddorion cyffredinol y ffordd y mae hyn yn gweithredu. Nid oedd cyflwyno'r credyd cynhwysol yn anghywir - mae'n iawn i ddweud hynny - ond ni orffennodd yr hyn a ddywedais ynglŷn â bod yr egwyddorion cyffredinol yn iawn, ond mewn gwirionedd, mae'r system yn ddiffygiol, nid yw'n gweithio, ac mae'n effeithio'n enbyd ar ein cymunedau, a dyna pam y mae angen i ni ei hatal. Mae ein pobl fwyaf agored i niwed, sydd eisoes yn ceisio ymdopi ag amgylchiadau anodd a chymhleth yn eu bywydau, bellach yn gorfod mynd drwy'r rhwystr ychwanegol o gael mynediad at y cymorth brys hwn drwy gredyd cynhwysol. Addawodd yr Ysgrifennydd Gwladol ar 2 Hydref y byddai'r amser aros yn cael ei leihau i bobl wrth wneud cais am gredyd cynhwysol drwy ofyn am daliadau ar unwaith ar yr un diwrnod ar gyfer peth o'r arian neu ofyn am daliad ymlaen llaw o 50 y cant. Nid wyf yn ystyried bod yr ateb cyflym hwn yn gynaliadwy fel ateb parhaol i hawlwyr sy'n agored i niwed a allai fod eisoes mewn dyled yn awr, a gallai benthyca fel hyn eu gwthio ymhellach dros y dibyn i ddyled yn hawdd. Nid yw'n gweithio. Mae angen ei atal. Fel mater o frys, mae angen i Lywodraeth y DU leihau'r amser aros am y taliad cyntaf yn sylweddol, cael gwared ar y cyfnod aros o saith niwrnod a newid y sefyllfa ddiofyn i'r rhai sydd â chostau tai i'w talu'n uniongyrchol i'r landlord. Mae angen iddynt adfer taliadau pythefnosol hefyd i'r rhai sydd angen taliadau mwy rheolaidd. Gwrandewais ar gyfraniad Aelodau Plaid Cymru. Y ffaith amdani yma yw y gall Llywodraeth y DU wneud hyn. Gallant leihau'r amser aros. Gallant adfer y taliadau pythefnosol. Yr un system yn union sy'n gweithredu yn yr Alban ag sydd ar waith yng Nghymru a Lloegr. Clicied ar y peiriant ydyw, dyna i gyd. [Torri ar draws.] Fe ildiaf, wrth gwrs.