Sharing our research at the Cross Party Group on Poverty

Steffan Evans gives members a preview of the findings of our latest Snapshot of Poverty report.  

The Cross Party Group on Poverty held its latest meeting on 20th February. The Group is chaired by John Griffiths MS, with the Bevan Foundation providing the secretariat.

The latest meeting provided members of the CPG with an opportunity to take stock of the impact of the cost of living crisis on Wales and to consider what the impact of the crisis was likely to be into the future. To provide context for the discussion three speakers were invited to give short presentations sharing their latest insights. Joining Steffan in giving a presentation was Ben Saltmarsh from National Energy Action and Amy Dutton from Citizens Advice. 

Steffan’s presentation drew on the findings of the Foundation’s latest Snapshot of poverty survey. The survey was undertaken by YouGov in January. The findings will be launched in full on 6th March but Steffan was able to give members a preview of some of the key findings and to reflect on some of the themes that emerge from the data. Chief amongst these was that higher levels of poverty and financial hardship have become a new normal for Welsh society, with no real indication that things will improve significantly in the near future. 

Ben and Amy’s presentation drew on their organisations’ expertise. Ben’s presentation gave an overview of the key challenges facing Wales with regards to fuel poverty, whilst Amy shared the latest data from Citizens Advice’s Cost of Living Dashboard. Both painted a highly concerning picture, highlighting just how many people in Wales are struggling to access essentials. 

Following their presentations members of the CPG were provided with an opportunity to reflect on what they had heard and to share some of their insights as to the impact of the cost of living crisis. Among the issues that were covered in a broad discussion were the importance of driving up take up of benefits, the financial challenges being faced by charities and the long term impact of the crisis on the health service and society more broadly.   

Those interested in learning more about the Foundation’s work on the cost of living crisis can sign up to the launch webinar of our latest Snapshot of Poverty report on March 6th. The Foundation is also holding a free, in person event on March 12th to discuss child poverty.