English: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and thank you for your statement, Minister. The scale of the crisis facing too many households in Wales is truly horrifying. Inflation, as we've heard, is at a 40-year high, and energy prices are going up 23 times faster than wages. Given this emergency facing households, Plaid Cymru agrees that the UK Government should reinstate the £20 uplift to universal credit from July in order to protect vulnerable households from the cost-of-living crisis, and we believe that that uplift should also be extended to those in receipt of legacy benefits, and that all benefits should be uprated in line with inflation and automatic deductions stopped. The Child Poverty Action Group have estimated that in Wales approximately 92,000 households claiming universal credit are receiving an average of £60 less each month than they're entitled to because of automatic deductions from their universal credit payment. These deductions affect an estimated 106,000 children in Wales. Wales has the highest poverty rate among the four UK nations, with almost one in four people living in poverty, and thus, if Westminster is unwilling to show the most basic level of human decency and adequately address the scale of this crisis, do you agree, Minister, there can be no argument against demanding powers over welfare so we can better support and protect the people of Wales, those people who need the most help, help that can be best targeted through the benefits system? We know, as you've said, that the picture will get even worse and the number of those living in fuel poverty or at risk of fuel poverty will rise yet again in the autumn. Can the Minister provide clarity on when the next winter fuel support scheme payment will be made? Will it be made, as she has indicated previously, before October? The measure announced last week, that of a fuel voucher scheme to help households with prepayment meters that have to pay in advance for their energy, and often, as you said, the poorest of households, is most welcome. I would like to ask - . The First Minister talked about it earlier. He drew attention to the fact, and you have also, that requirements that standing charges and debts are paid off before supply starts up - could this impact the effectiveness of this measure? This would mean that adding a £30-worth fuel voucher to a prepayment account would in some cases not be enough to enable the customer to switch those lights back on, to use the fridge and the cooker, to heat the home. So, how will this new scheme ensure that people will receive enough credit to avoid this situation? And also how do we know if we are helping those who need help? We know that uptake of other measures to tackle fuel poverty has not always been optimal, and so is referral to this scheme the most effective method of distribution? What happens to those who are not in contact with organisations or aware of the scheme? As costs rise, one of the biggest expenses for families on low incomes is furniture and appliances. The cost of furniture is continuing to rise and, over the past 10 years, the cost of furniture has risen by 32 per cent, while household appliances have risen 17 per cent. Brexit and inflation are now driving these prices even higher. At least 10,000 children in the UK don't have their own bed to sleep on, and 4.8 million are living without at least one essential household appliance, like a cooker or fridge, and these are pre-pandemic figures, which we know will have most likely risen much higher by now. Only 2 per cent of social housing properties in the UK are let as furnished or partly furnished, compared to 29 per cent in the private rental sector, and some of the research I've done in Wales shows this is the case with many housing associations here too. Furnished tenancies have huge benefit for tenants and landlords, and can ease pressure on crisis support funds like the DAF. Living without essential furniture can have a huge impact on people's mental and physical well-being and create extra cost. For example, up to 15 per cent of heat in your home is lost without flooring, and it is also extremely hard to obtain when you are on a low income. There are charities that provide funding pots for items like this, but not much provision is made for items like flooring, and many social landlords remove flooring, and in some cases there have been cases where tenants have been charged to lift up flooring at the end of their tenancy. So, I wonder, Minister, could you consider working alongside social housing providers to encourage engagement with tenants regarding the retention of former flooring and furniture when applicable. Could this be added to the supplementary terms of the next Renting Homes (Wales) Act contracts? And can the Welsh Government review the terms of the DAF and other crisis funds to include the provision of appropriate flooring? Diolch.
Welsh: Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, a diolch am eich datganiad, Gweinidog. Mae maint yr argyfwng sy'n wynebu llawer gormod o aelwydydd yng Nghymru yn wirioneddol arswydus. Mae chwyddiant, fel clywsom ni, ar ei uchaf ers 40 mlynedd, ac mae prisiau ynni yn codi 23 gwaith yn gynt na chyflogau. O ystyried yr argyfwng sy'n wynebu'r aelwydydd hyn, mae Plaid Cymru yn cytuno y dylai Llywodraeth y DU adfer y cynnydd o £20 i gredyd cynhwysol o fis Gorffennaf ymlaen i amddiffyn aelwydydd sy'n agored i niwed rhag yr argyfwng costau byw, ac rydym ni o'r farn y dylid ymestyn y cynnydd hwnnw hefyd i'r rhai sy'n cael budd-daliadau etifeddol, ac y dylid uwchraddio'r budd-daliadau i gyd yn unol â chwyddiant ac atal didyniadau awtomatig. Mae'r Grŵp Gweithredu ar Dlodi Plant wedi amcangyfrif bod tua 92,000 o aelwydydd sy'n hawlio credyd cynhwysol yng Nghymru yn cael £60 yn llai ar gyfartaledd bob mis nag y mae ganddyn nhw'r hawl iddo oherwydd didyniadau awtomatig o'u taliad credyd cynhwysol nhw. Mae'r didyniadau hyn yn effeithio ar tua 106,000 o blant yng Nghymru. Cymru sydd â'r gyfradd tlodi uchaf ymhlith pedair gwlad y DU, gyda bron i un o bob pedwar o bobl yn byw mewn tlodi, ac felly, os nad yw San Steffan yn fodlon arddangos y mymryn lleiaf o barch tuag at bobl a mynd i'r afael â maint yr argyfwng hwn mewn ffordd ddigonol, a ydych chi, Gweinidog, yn cytuno â mi na ellir dadlau yn erbyn galw am bwerau dros les er mwyn i ni allu cefnogi ac amddiffyn pobl Cymru yn well, y bobl hynny sydd angen y cymorth mwyaf, cymorth y gellir ei anelu orau drwy'r system fudd-daliadau? Fe wyddom ni, fel rydych chi wedi dweud, y bydd y darlun yn gwaethygu eto hyd yn oed ac y bydd nifer y rhai sy'n byw mewn tlodi tanwydd neu sydd mewn perygl o fynd i dlodi tanwydd yn codi eto yn yr hydref. A fyddai'r Gweinidog yn egluro pryd y bydd y taliad cynllun cymorth tanwydd gaeaf nesaf yn cael ei roi? A fydd hwnnw'n cael ei roi, fel nododd hi o'r blaen, cyn mis Hydref? Mae'r mesur a gyhoeddwyd wythnos diwethaf, sef y cynllun talebau tanwydd i helpu aelwydydd â mesuryddion rhagdalu sy'n gorfod talu ymlaen llaw am eu hynni nhw, ac yn aml, fel roeddech chi'n dweud, y nhw yw'r aelwydydd tlotaf, i'w groesawu yn fawr. Fe hoffwn i ofyn - . Roedd y Prif Weinidog yn sôn am hynny'n gynharach. Fe dynnodd ef sylw at y ffaith, ac rydych chithau wedi gwneud hynny, fod gofynion bod taliadau sefydlog a dyledion yn cael eu talu cyn i'r cyflenwad ddechrau - a allai hynny effeithio ar effeithiolrwydd y mesur hwn? Byddai hynny'n golygu na fyddai ychwanegu taleb tanwydd gwerth £30 at gyfrif rhagdalu yn ddigon mewn rhai achosion i alluogi'r cwsmer i droi'r goleuadau hynny ymlaen, i ddefnyddio'r oergell a'r popty, i wresogi'r cartref. Felly, sut fydd y cynllun newydd hwn yn sicrhau y bydd pobl yn cael digon o fodd ariannol i osgoi'r sefyllfa hon? A hefyd sut ydym ni'n gwybod a ydym ni'n helpu'r rhai sydd ag angen cymorth? Fe wyddom ni nad yw'r defnydd o fesurau eraill i fynd i'r afael â thlodi tanwydd wedi bod yn ddelfrydol bob amser, ac felly ai cyfeirio at y cynllun hwn yw'r dull mwyaf effeithiol o wneud hynny? Beth sy'n digwydd i'r rhai nad oes ganddyn nhw gysylltiad â sefydliadau neu heb fod yn ymwybodol o'r cynllun? Wrth i gostau godi, un o'r costau mwyaf sydd gan deuluoedd ar incwm isel yw dodrefn ac offer arall. Mae cost dodrefn yn parhau i godi ac mae cost dodrefn, dros y 10 mlynedd diwethaf, wedi codi 32 y cant, tra bod offer i'r cartref wedi codi 17 y cant. Mae Brexit a chwyddiant yn gyrru'r prisiau hyn yn uwch eto, hyd yn oed. Nid oes gan o leiaf 10,000 o blant yn y DU eu gwely nhw eu hunain i gysgu ynddo, ac mae 4.8 miliwn yn byw heb o leiaf un teclyn cartref hanfodol, fel popty neu oergell, ac mae'r rhain yn ffigurau o'r amser cyn y pandemig, yr ydym ni'n gwybod eu bod nhw wedi codi llawer mwy erbyn hyn. Dim ond 2 y cant o dai cymdeithasol yn y DU sy'n cael eu gosod yn rhai â chelfi neu â rhywfaint o gelfi, o gymharu hynny â 29 y cant yn y sector rhentu preifat, ac mae rhywfaint o'r ymchwil a wnes i yng Nghymru yn dangos bod hynny'n wir am lawer o gymdeithasau tai yma hefyd. Mae tenantiaethau â chelfi o fudd enfawr i denantiaid a landlordiaid, ac maen nhw'n gallu ysgafnu'r pwysau ar gronfeydd cymorth argyfwng fel y gronfa cymorth dewisol. Fe all byw heb ddodrefn hanfodol gael effaith enfawr ar lesiant meddyliol a chorfforol pobl a chreu cost ychwanegol. Er enghraifft, mae hyd at 15 y cant o wres eich cartref chi'n cael ei golli os nad oes deunydd llawr gennych, ac mae hi'n anodd iawn cael hwnnw pan fyddwch chi ar incwm isel. Mae elusennau sy'n darparu moddion ariannol ar gyfer eitemau fel hyn, ond nid oes llawer o ddarpariaeth yn cael ei gwneud ar gyfer eitemau fel deunydd llawr, ac mae llawer o landlordiaid cymdeithasol yn cael gwared ar ddeunydd llawr, ac mewn rhai achosion bu achosion pan godwyd tâl ar denantiaid am godi lloriau ar derfyn eu tenantiaeth nhw. Felly, tybed, Gweinidog, a fyddech chi'n ystyried gweithio ochr yn ochr â darparwyr tai cymdeithasol i annog ymgysylltu â thenantiaid ynghylch cadw hen ddeunydd lloriau a dodrefn pan fo hynny'n berthnasol. A ellid ychwanegu hyn at delerau atodol contractau nesaf Deddf Rhentu Cartrefi (Cymru)? Ac a wnaiff Llywodraeth Cymru adolygu telerau'r gronfa cymorth dewisol a chronfeydd argyfwng eraill i gynnwys darparu deunydd lloriau addas? Diolch.