The Children’s Commissioner has responded to the Welsh Government’s Child Poverty Strategy for Wales progress report 2025:
- On the Welsh Benefits Charter, work is “progressing”, but there is no detail on what that means – for example, how many local authorities have systems in place to realise the Charter’s purpose and streamline the benefits system for families. The aim is to have systems operational across all local authorities by April 2026, but without knowing how many local authorities have progressed, it is difficult to gauge whether this aim is realistic. If it is not realistic, Welsh Government needs to support local authorities to ensure that they have the resources to put systems in place.
Children’s Commissioner’s manifesto call: Ensure that all those entitled to claim Welsh administered benefits can easily do so.
- It is good to see the positive impact of the Single Advice Fund, which was “introduced in January 2020, and by March 2025 it had helped more than 388,000 people from the most disadvantaged and marginalised communities to access additional income of over £208.9 million, and to have debts totalling £66.3 million written off.”
- We note that the evaluation of the Basic Income Pilot for care-experienced young people will be ready by 2027. But this should not mean that work to better support care-experienced young people as they transition to more independent living, including financial support, is delayed until the evaluation is published.
- Although we welcome the universal offer of free school meals in primary schools, we note the following paragraph: “Our universal primary offer, combined with means-tested free school meals and transitional protections across both primary and secondary schools, means that around two thirds of children attending a local authority maintained school are eligible to receive a free school meal.” That disguises the fact that many secondary school pupils from households in receipt of Universal Credit who should be eligible for free school meals remain ineligible, if they are from households in receipt of Universal Credit and earn more than £7,400.
Children’s Commissioner’s manifesto call:: Extend universal free school meal provision to secondary school age children.
- The following is noted on the School Essentials Grant: “In 2024 to 2025 £13.1 million was made available through the School Essentials Grant (SEG) which has helped to reduce the worry surrounding the purchase of school uniform and equipment (such as classroom essentials, sports kit and other equipment for after school activities) and helped with engagement with outdoor learning opportunities for many families. This funding enabled over 89,000 eligible learners to attend schools and participate in activities at the same level as their peers.” Whilst free school meals and the School Essentials Grant (SEG) may help with reducing costs, in line with the Strategy’s first objective to “reduce costs”, to fulfil the second part of this objective, “maximise incomes”, money needs to be put in people’s pockets, and policies such as FSM and SEG are not in themselves enough to do that. Removing the two-child cap will go some of the way towards putting money in people’s pockets, as will ensuring that families are aware of their entitlement to benefits and how to claim them, but with WG’s own chart in this document showing that child poverty remains stubbornly high, more ambitious policy is needed, such as a Welsh Child Payment.
Children’s Commissioner Manifesto Call: Introduce a Welsh Child Payment akin to that of Scotland – parties will need to find a way to achieve this, either through the existing devolution settlement or through legal changes that would allow this to happen.
- There is mention of the Bus Bill and the accompanying CRIA, which “highlighted the importance of affordable, reliable and safe bus travel for children to meet with friends, go to school and attend appointments, and that this can be challenging in more rural areas of Wales.” There is also mention of the £1 bus pilot “designed to support young people in accessing education, employment, training opportunities and leisure activities.” Although we welcome the pilot, it is a temporary scheme and is no replacement for provision placed on a statutory basis. We know from our work that many children face difficulties in getting to school, and while the pilot is welcome, only changes to the Learner Travel Measure can secure lasting and affordable school transport for pupils. The Bus Bill presents an opportunity to ensure that changes to bus services in Wales work for children and young people – failing to review the Learner Travel Measure as the provisions of the bill are implemented would be a missed opportunity.
Children’s Commisioner’s Manifesto Call: Undertake a full review of the Learner Travel Measure 2008 and associated guidance.