Since May 2026, the Plaid Cymru Government has named child poverty a priority, with Sioned Williams as Deputy First Minister leading on it. Debate has centred on the Cynnal child payment pilot, the childcare offer, free school meals and fuel costs. Opposition parties have pressed for dates, targets and costings.
The main arguments
Sioned Williams (Plaid Cymru) said child poverty is at the core of the Government's work and promised a new strategy with clear targets and milestones. Peter Fox (Welsh Conservatives) and Shav Taj (Welsh Labour) asked how progress will be measured and published. Contributions:
Ms Williams described Cynnal as a £10 a week payment for low-income families with young children, to be piloted. Lynne Neagle and Jayne Bryant (Welsh Labour) asked about timing and effects on other support. Cristiana Emsley (Reform UK) called it a 'plan to plan'. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Rhun ap Iorwerth and Sioned Williams (Plaid Cymru) said childcare raises family incomes and cuts child poverty. Jane Dodds (Welsh Liberal Democrats) backed a universal offer. Dan Thomas (Reform UK) asked for full costings. Ken Skates (Welsh Labour) said it would give about £15 million a year to higher earners. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
Elin Jones (Plaid Cymru) said free school meals will extend to years 7 and 8 for all children on universal credit, an estimated 15,000 to 20,000 pupils. Ken Skates (Welsh Labour) said the Government had watered down its offer. Huw Thomas (Welsh Labour) asked if council cost advice would be funded. Contributions: [1][2][3]
Niamh Salkeld (Plaid Cymru) said about 340,000 Welsh households are in fuel poverty. Natasha Asghar (Welsh Conservatives) wanted action now rather than a review of the Warm Homes scheme. Cristiana Emsley (Reform UK) said promised £200 heating oil payments were delayed. Contributions: [1][2][3]
Elyn Stephens and Becca Martin (Plaid Cymru) said benefits decisions affecting Wales sit with the UK Government. Peter Fox and Natasha Asghar (Welsh Conservatives) said ministers should use existing powers, and that growth and lower taxes are the route out of poverty. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Adrian Mason (Reform UK) cited the Older People's Commissioner: one in six older people live in relative income poverty. Rhun ap Iorwerth (Plaid Cymru) pointed to the £4.84 million support fund and said UK Government levers, especially on fuel, are also needed. Contributions: [1][2][3]
Where the parties stand
Plaid Cymru
Members call child poverty the Government's defining priority. They cite the childcare offer, the Cynnal pilot, free school meals for more secondary pupils, a national food strategy and a £4.84 million support fund, and argue for more welfare powers in Wales. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
Welsh Labour
Members defend the previous Government's record on free school meals and the pupil development grant, and press for dates, details and funding. Ken Skates criticised the childcare design. Huw Thomas criticised how poverty funding is allocated. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Welsh Conservatives
Members ask for immediate, measurable help and targets, and urge use of existing powers. They say growth and lower taxes are the best route out of poverty. Darren Millar criticised higher minimum alcohol pricing during the cost-of-living crisis. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Reform UK
Members say they support the current childcare offer but question the costings of Plaid Cymru's expansion. They call Cynnal unclear, raised delayed fuel payments, and Cai Parry-Jones asked whether the Government means absolute or relative poverty. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Welsh Liberal Democrats
Jane Dodds backs universal childcare and Cynnal, presses for targets, and calls child poverty Plaid Cymru's 'defining test'. She also asked about Welsh borrowing powers to fund housing and infrastructure. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
Wales Green Party
Anthony Slaughter linked rising food insecurity and poor housing to health inequality. Paul Rock said support for clean energy and heat pumps could ease household costs. Contributions: [1][2]
What the government is being pressed on
1When will Cynnal start, and will it affect other support? Lynne Neagle and Jayne Bryant asked. Sioned Williams said an expert group is designing the pilot, and that DWP Minister Baroness Sherlock agreed to explore protecting payments and sharing data. No start date was given. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
2What measurable targets will the Government set? Jane Dodds, Peter Fox and Shav Taj asked. Sioned Williams said the new child poverty strategy will set targets and milestones, and that a digital dashboard is being developed. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
3Is the expanded childcare offer fully costed? Dan Thomas and Cristiana Emsley asked. Rhun ap Iorwerth said an expert steering group and a childcare taskforce will plan phased delivery. Jane Dodds noted a commitment to bring initial costings before recess. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
4How is poverty funding allocated? Huw Thomas and Jayne Bryant said it should follow levels of poverty. Heledd Fychan and Sioned Williams said rural poverty is often hidden, and a rural allocation is included on a test-and-learn basis. Contributions: [1][2][3][4]
5What help is there for households in fuel crisis? Cristiana Emsley and Natasha Asghar pressed on delayed payments and the Warm Homes review. Sioned Williams pointed to the discretionary assistance fund and Fuel Bank Foundation support, and said many levers sit with the UK Government. Contributions: [1][2][3]
What the public is asking for
One open petition asks for equal access to free school meal support for children with food allergies. It has 39 signatures.
Who ministers are meeting
Ministers have met expert and reference groups, including the Cynnal Expert Group (four meetings) and a child poverty strategy reference group. They have also met local government representatives, UK Government and other ministers, and charities such as Save the Children Cymru.
In the Sixth Senedd (2021 to 2026)
From the previous Senedd's record, for issues that run across both. The rest of this analysis covers the Seventh Senedd only.
In the Sixth Senedd, debate centred on the child poverty strategy and whether it should carry targets. Members from Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Conservatives and the Welsh Liberal Democrats pressed the Labour Government on delivery, while Labour Ministers said they were using every available lever. UK welfare decisions also featured.
In January 2024 the Equality and Social Justice Committee's report 'Calling time on child poverty' reviewed the draft strategy. Jenny Rathbone said it aimed to influence the final plan. Sioned Williams said delivery and measurement were key. Contributions: [1][2]
On 23 January 2024 Jane Hutt (Welsh Labour) published the strategy, saying it was co-constructed and used all available levers. Jane Dodds said targets were the common theme in the Siambr. In October 2024 she said the monitoring framework meant 'no targets'. Contributions: [1][2][3]
In February 2024 Jane Hutt launched the Welsh benefits charter, backed by all 22 councils. Mark Isherwood (Welsh Conservatives) asked about timetables and uniform delivery. Sioned Williams called it a long-awaited first step. Contributions: [1][2][3]
In 2024 Sioned Williams and Jane Dodds criticised the UK Labour Government's retention of the two-child limit and cuts to winter fuel payments. Conservative Members Mark Isherwood and Peter Fox also opposed the winter fuel cut. Contributions: [1][2][3][4][5]
Written by AI on 23 October 2026 from 160 contributions in the Senedd between 12 May 2026 and 20 October 2026, with the petitions and ministers' meetings on this brief. Each point links to the contributions it draws on; check them before quoting. How the analysis is written.
Where things stand
Statistics published by the Welsh Government. Each chart covers the years since the 2016 Senedd election, or as far back as the figures go, and marks each election since.
Children in relative poverty
32%
The three years to 31 March 2025
United Kingdom
28%
A year earlier
30%(the three years to 31 March 2024)
Wales
United Kingdom
The share of children living in households with less than 60% of the UK median income after housing costs, averaged over three financial years.
From a household survey with a small sample in Wales, so figures are averaged over three years, and the publisher advises caution with changes from one year to the next, which are unlikely to be statistically significant. The publisher plans to revise the figures back to 2012-13 in March 2027.
The line breaks at the three years to 31 March 2023, where the publisher marks a break in the series.
6 commitments in the Welsh Government's Programme for Government 2026 to 2030 fall under this brief, in the Programme's own words. Under each is how often it has been raised in the Seventh Senedd.
Developing a Welsh welfare system
Improve the Welsh Benefits System to make support easier to access and fit for purpose.
Raised in 6 speeches. Most recently on 8 July 2026, by Natasha Asghar. Matched on: “Welsh benefits”, “Welsh benefits system”.
Press the UK government to devolve social security so that we can design and deliver made in Wales social protections that better reflect the needs and values of our people and communities.
Not raised in the Senedd in the Seventh Senedd so far.
Work with partners to develop and deliver a new plan to tackle child poverty, setting clear targets, benchmarks and milestones to drive ambitious, deliverable change.
Press the UK government to use the levers they have, including removing the benefit cap, increasing Local Housing Allowance, and introducing social tariffs to deliver real change for families living in poverty.
Raised in 5 speeches. Most recently on 8 July 2026, by Sioned Williams. Matched on: “social tariff”.
Expand access to free school meals in secondary schools, starting by ensuring that all students in Years 7‑11 from households claiming Universal Credit are able to claim a free school meal, with no income limit. We will align provision with the work on a new National Food Strategy.
Raised in 44 speeches, 1 written question and 1 petition. Most recently on 14 October 2026, by Carrie Harper. Matched on: “free school meals”.
Source: Welsh Government, Programme for government 2026 to 2030: New ambition for Wales, first published on 10 September 2026. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Mentions are found by matching the names of plans, bodies and schemes; a mention says nothing about progress.
From the Welsh Government
The Welsh Government's latest press releases and Cabinet statements on this brief.
The Scottish and Welsh Governments have called on the UK Government to scrap “punitive” welfare policies, adopt plans to cut energy bills, and to further devolve powers to help drive continued progress in tackling…
The Welsh Government is marking International Day of the Girl today by reaffirming its commitment to ending period poverty and building a Period Proud Wales.
Tackling child poverty is one of the Welsh Government's top priorities, with Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation (WIMD) 2025 analysis underlining the importance of its work.
In the news
The latest headlines on this brief, linking to each outlet's story.
Each bar is the share of that party's speeches and questions in the Seventh Senedd that touched this brief, so large and small parties can be compared. The upright line marks the chamber as a whole: 4.2%.
Ministers' meetings with outside organisations and their engagements on this brief, from the register the Welsh Government publishes every three months. 13 since the 2026 election; the latest:
18 September 2026
BBC Radio Wales Interview - Cost of living package and movements in the Senedd this week
Meeting, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
18 September 2026
BBC Radio Cymru Interview - Cost of living package
Meeting, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
17 September 2026
Announcing the Tackling Poverty Support Funding package at Down To Zero
Meeting, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
16 September 2026
Cynnal Expert Group
Meeting, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
8 September 2026
Child Poverty Strategy with Baroness Sherlock OBE
Meeting, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
2 September 2026
CSSJH Shirley-Anne Somerville re Eradicating Child Poverty
Meeting, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
26 August 2026
Cynnal Expert Group
Meeting, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
30 July 2026
Cynnal Expert Group
Meeting, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality
Members whose entries in the Register of Members' Interests relate to this brief, matched by the brief's words and phrases. Members must register these interests, and having one doesn't mean anything improper.
Membership/Chairmanship of bodies in receipt of direct or indirect Senedd Commission or Welsh Government funds: Member Name of organisation: Pantry Food Bank, Pontardawe Role within organisation: Trustee
67% of Welsh adults said the cost of living would be very important to their vote.
40% of Welsh adults said poverty and inequality would be very important to their vote.
32% of Welsh adults said welfare and benefits would be very important to their vote.
Ipsos asked 747 Welsh adults aged 16+ between 2 April 2026 and 8 April 2026, before the 2026 Senedd election. People could choose as many issues as they liked. More on public opinion.
Written questions
11 written questions to the Welsh Government on this brief in the Seventh Senedd, 8 answered so far. The latest:
As with other parts of the UK, people across Wales have been hit by a living standards squeeze since the 2008 financial crisis, which has been exacerbated over recent years by cost of living pressures.
For some people, inequality means starting school already behind their peers, facing insecure work and lower pay in adulthood or struggling with poor health in later life.
390 contributions in the Seventh Senedd, newest first.
Ben Mincher
, Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Scrutiny of the Cabinet Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning on the Representation of the People (Electoral Registration without Applications) (Electoral Reform) (Wales) Regulations 2026
Tagged for: “children living in poverty”, “poverty”Translated from WelshOfficial Record
Month by month
13
130
63
105
79
May 2026JunJulAugSeptOct
Contributions tagged in each month of the Seventh Senedd. No sittings were held in August 2026.Show the numbers
Month
Contributions
May 2026
13
June 2026
130
July 2026
63
August 2026
No sittings
September 2026
105
October 2026
79
How this brief is put together
This brief follows the Programme commitments listed above and tags the record with the phrases below. Keyword matching can miss business that discusses the issue in other words, and can tag a passing mention.
Show the phrases it uses
A contribution is tagged when its English text contains one of these phrases. Capital letters don't matter, except in abbreviations, which must match exactly. It is also tagged when the title of the agenda item or question it was part of contains one, as long as the contribution is at least 30 words long. The brief is also tagged whenever one of its themes is.
