Making our mark at the Senedd and at Westminster in July 2022

Bevan Foundation Senedd Exterior
NewsAugust 16th, 2022

Even as summer recess approached the Bevan Foundation’s work proved extremely influential in Cardiff Bay and at Westminster

Housing 

The Bevan Foundation’s work on the Local Housing Allowance garnered significant political attention through July. 

At Westminster level, the findings of our recent report Wales’ Housing Crisis: an update on the private rental market in Wales was referenced by the Work and Pensions Committee in their report on benefit deductions. The committee drew particular attention to our finding that LHA only fully covered the advertised rent of 1.4% of properties across Welsh local authorities during the first week of May 2022. 

The Committee’s report followed an event that we held in Westminster with Beth Winter MP to share the findings of our research on the links between LHA and homelessness. The event was very well attended and we have already held follow up discussions with a number of UK organisations that were present to discuss future plans. 

Our work on LHA also gained the interest of politicians at the Senedd. On July 12th Mabon ab Gwynfor MS made reference to our work in plenary:

indeed, research from the Bevan Foundation recently suggested that a rising number of people in Wales were at risk of homelessness because of a shortage of affordable properties. Data collected from 1,775 rental adverts across Wales indicated that only 24, or just 1.4 per cent, were at a price fully covered by the housing allowance.

Cost of living, the labour market and self employed workers 

July saw the publication of the Senedd’s Economy, Trade and Rural Affairs Committee’s inquiry into the cost of living. In total the Committee made 27 recommendations to the Welsh Government. Many of these closely reflect arguments made by the Bevan Foundation in our evidence and we were particularly pleased to see the Committee echo our calls for the Welsh Government to accelerate its work to establish a Welsh Benefits System. 

July also saw the Bevan Foundation give evidence to the Senedd’s Equalities and Social Justice Committee as part of their inquiry into the Social Partnership and Public Procurement (Wales) Bill. The Foundation’s evidence was referenced by other witnesses, including Ruth Marks, Chief Exec of the WCVA.

Our research work on self employed workers was also raised in the Senedd. On July 12th Luke Fletcher MS stated during plenary

Given the Bevan Foundation’s recent report that found that the average income of a self-employed person is less than two thirds the income of an employee, and also noted that it carries risks of financial insecurity and poverty, what safety nets are in place to support those young people who struggle with being self-employed, especially during such uncertain times, as we recover from the pandemic and are in the midst of an unprecedented cost-of-living crisis, beyond, of course, what you’ve already outlined?

There has also been interest in Westminster in some of our work on the economy. Beth Winter MP stated on July 5th 

In my constituency, I commissioned some research on the post-covid economy that was conducted by the Bevan Foundation, looking at community wealth-building approaches. The evidence was shocking. The median earnings of working residents are well below both the Welsh and the UK averages.

Education and child poverty 

The Foundation’s work on child poverty also drew significant political interest throughout July. 

July 6th saw John Griffiths MS host a short debate in plenary on education as a route out of poverty. During his contribution he made reference to much of the Foundation’s work.

The Bevan Foundation, who I work closely with on the poverty cross-party group, have highlighted differences in the exam results of children who receive and did not receive free school meals, and many of the gaps that we see appear when children are very young, and widen as children get older. And, of course, the pandemic has worryingly worsened these gaps as well. The Bevan Foundation added that the risk of not obtaining five A-to-C GCSEs is highest for pupils eligible for free school meals, but also those on the special educational needs register.

In his response to the debate the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles MS drew members attention to a key note speech he had recently given at a Bevan Foundation event

July 13th saw Luke Fletcher MS make two separate references to our work on education and child poverty. In the first of these contributions he made reference to our ongoing calls for the Welsh Government to increase the Education Maintenance Allowance in line with inflation, drawing attention to the fact that EMA has not increased in value since 2004. His second reference was made during a discussion on poverty targets. In her response the Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt MS made reference to previous calls that had been made by the Bevan Foundation and other organisations including the Children’s Commissioner.  

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