UK Government welfare cuts will fall 'more heavily' in Wales - First Minister

Emily Price 

UK Government cuts to welfare will "fall more heavily in Wales", the First Minister has said.

It came after Senedd Members from across the political spectrum pressed Baroness Eluned Morgan to release the details of a letter from the work and pensions secretary on impact welfare reforms will have on Wales.

The Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirmed several changes to benefits in her spring statement last week including a tightening the the rules for personal independence payment (Pip) claimants.

The main disability payment is received by around 250,000 people in Wales and the changes are expected to push thousands of people - including children - into poverty.

Baroness Morgan wrote to Liz Kendall on March 11 demanding a Wales-specific assessment of the reforms.

She has since received a reply but has refused to make it public.

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'Clear'

During First Minister's Questions on Tuesday (April 1) the leader of the opposition Darren Millar said it looked like the First Minister had "something to hide".

The Tory leader said Baroness Morgan would have "relished" publishing the letter from the Department of Work and Pensions if a Conservative government had been in power in Westminster.

The First Minister said she had written to the UK Government and "made it clear" that she had no problem with the letter being published.

She said: "I hope she’s going to do that later today. The implication in her letter is that there is recognition that the cuts will fall more heavily in Wales, although there’s no detailed assessment yet.

"My job is to stand up for Wales, and I have been honest with the UK Government about the fact that we are very exercised about these proposals."

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Concerns

The FM previously said she had been in contact with "Number 10" to raise concerns about the welfare reforms.

But during the Senedd's Scrutiny of the First Minister Committee last week, she said she had not spoken to Prime Minister Keir Starmer directly.

Rhun ap Iorwerth said the First Minister had exposed the Labour Government's "absolute lack of fight on behalf of the people of Wales".

He said: "The First Minister says she's listening, but she's not hearing a single thing. On not releasing that letter, this is the First Minister that read out a letter from the UK transport Secretary live on air in January, calling it 'breaking news', and that was shafting Wales as well.

"She wants this delayed because she knows that we'll confirm that there has been no impact assessment on Wales."

The First Minister told Plaid Cymru's leader she expected the letter to be published later in the afternoon.

Communications

Labour's Jenny Rathbone also appeared to criticise UK Labour saying: "The concordat that was written between the DWP and the Welsh Government is absolutely clear that efficient and effective government requires good communications."

The Senedd's only Liberal Democrat Jane Dodds said the UK Government had put Baroness Morgan and backbench Labour MSs who wanted to stand up for the vulnerable in a "difficult position".

She said: "You are our voice with the Labour Government. We've seen reports of 31 per cent of children here in Wales living in poverty, and that was last week.

"That is shameful, and we are so, so saddened to think that we live in a country with that degree of children living in poverty.

"And we plead with you—what else can we do—we are pleading with you to say enough is enough."

Baroness Morgan said it was up to the Chancellor to defend positions taken by the UK Government.