Bevan Foundation submits evidence to Finance Committee

The Bevan Foundation has submitted a response to the Welsh Parliament’s Finance Committee’s inquiry into the Draft Welsh Budget

The Bevan Foundation was pleased to be able to submit a response to the Welsh Parliament’s Finance Committee’s inquiry into the Draft Welsh Budget for 2020/21. In its response the Bevan Foundation explored the connections between Covid 19, poverty and the Welsh Budget.

In our evidence we argue that the already high levels of poverty in Wales is likely to have increased the cost of the pandemic for the Welsh Government. The prevalence of health conditions associated with poverty for example, has made more people vulnerable to the virus, placing them at greater risk of being hospitalised, stretching resources. The prevalence of poverty in Wales also means that thousands of people in Wales have little if any money to fall back on. This has placed extra demands on a range of public services including support for homeless people and on Welsh Government financial support schemes such as the Discretionary Assistance Fund. In the longer term, the pandemic is likely to lead to an increase in the number of people living in poverty. This is likely to put further demands on the Welsh Government’s resources.

For these reasons and the fact that no one should live in poverty we argue in our response that it is imperative that the Welsh Government prioritises investing in solutions to poverty when deciding on its 2021/22 budget.

To read our response in full, click here.