Next Welsh Government has to be “ambitious” to recover from pandemic warns Plaid Cymru

Bevan Foundation report highlights huge impact of Covid on household finances

An “ambitious approach” will be required for post-Covid recovery, Plaid Cymru has warned.

A report from the Bevan Foundation has exposed the effects the pandemic has had on Welsh households’ finances. The report suggests that almost a quarter of Welsh households have seen a fall in their income, whilst more than fourth percent have seen an increase in heating and water bills.

Plaid Cymru’s Shadow Minister for the Economy, Helen Mary Jones MS said the Welsh Government must “urgently intervene” and said “bigger steps” would be needed to mitigate the long term financial impact of Covid.

Ms Jones drew attention to Plaid Cymru’s ambitious Covid recovery plan which includes the creation of nearly 60,000 new jobs, describing the need for big ideas to “eradicate the vast inequalities in Wales”.

Plaid Cymru Shadow Minister for the Economy, Helen Mary Jones MS said,

“This is a stark reminder that we cannot and will not just go back to how things were. The future for people in this country’s poorest communities has to change.

“Household finances across Wales have been hit hard by the pandemic, and the end of the furlough scheme will add to current pressures. With a drop of household incomes and a rise in the costs of living, the Welsh Government must urgently intervene in offering short and medium-term support for those struggling, taking bigger steps to mitigate the financial impact of Covid for the longer term.

“A government in Wales has to be ambitious in moving forward – in recovering from the pandemic and addressing the needs of the most in need. Plaid Cymru have ambitions to extend free school meals to all children and have a plan for an economic recovery from the pandemic which would create almost 60,000 new jobs.

“We have reached a point in which big ideas and rapid action is needed in order to eradicate the vast inequalities in Wales, many of which are apparent in the Bevan Foundation’s report.”