Bevan Foundation ideas taken forward in final Welsh Government Budget

The Bevan Foundation is delighted to see many of its ideas for supporting families with the cost of living crisis feature in the Final Budget.  

The Welsh Government published it’s Final Budget on St David’s Day. The Bevan Foundation were pleased to see some significant extra funds allocated to help support families with the cost of living crisis, as compared with the Draft Budget.

Some of the extra funding came as no surprise given announcements already made by the Welsh Government. There were some new commitments that appeared in the Final Budget, however, that had not been trailed elsewhere which will make a real difference to Welsh families. We were particularly pleased to see some of the ideas set out in our The cost of living crisis: a Welsh action plan taken forward. 

Among the key new announcements made in relation to poverty that are closely related to calls made in in our action plan were:

• The extension of the eligibility criteria for the Winter Fuel Scheme. When the scheme reopens later in the year, pensioners who claim Pension Credit will be eligible for support 
• Support in lieu of Free School Meals will continue to be made available through Easter, Whitsun and Summer Holidays, with additional funds to provide activities for children over the summer. 
• The Pupil Development Grant (Access) will continue to be made available for children from low income families in all school years in 2022/23.
• Funding for a range of social justice measures including extra funding for the Single Advice fund and the provision of specific support to migrant and asylum seekers, and Gypssies and Traveller communities. 

There were further announcements made in the Final Budget that will provide assistance to low-income families:

• Funding to extend the Healthy Start Scheme cover the gap between when Healthy Start vouchers finish at age four and starting school and being able to access Free School Meals.
• Funding to support the development of Tai Ffres and for the Land for Housing Scheme. 

You can read the Welsh Government’s Final Budget in full here.