Cefin Campbell, Plaid Cymru Member of the Senedd for Mid & West Wales has urged eligible locals to claim a one-off payment made available to address pressures on living costs.

The Welsh Government’s Winter Fuel Support Scheme is part of a wider support package of over £50m issued by the Welsh Government to address “immediate pressures on living costs.”

A total of £38 million has been earmarked through a Winter Fuel Support Scheme, and those eligible have until February 18 to claim a one-off £100 payment from their local Council to provide support to pay their winter.

The payment will be available to all eligible households regardless of how they pay for their winter fuel, and the scheme is open to households where the resident or their partner are in receipt of any of the following welfare benefits:

Income Support; Income-Based Job Seekers Allowance; Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance; Universal Credit; Working Tax Credits.

Cefin Campbell MS, who has previously highlighted the cost-of-living crisis facing communities across Mid & West Wales in the Senedd, has urged eligible constituents to apply for the payment, saying:

“One in three children in Wales lives in poverty, and rural poverty is particularly pertinent in communities across Pembrokeshire and too often goes under the radar.

“Households across Mid and West Wales are facing a cost-of-living crisis. Bills are soaring whilst household incomes remain stagnant or fall.

“Regretfully the Tories’ cruel decision to remove the additional £20 a week on Universal Credit – a decision that will see over 10,000 households in Pembrokeshire impacted – will merely see more families face hardship over the coming weeks.

“This week alone we also see the Tories voting against a measure calling for a VAT cut on energy bills. Instead of providing families, pensioners and small businesses with security, they are abandoning them.

“As we emerge from the festive period, people shouldn’t have to choose between heating their homes, putting food on the table, and keeping up with the day-to-day cost of living - and that’s why I’m urging those that are eligible to apply for this payment.”

Anyone who believes they are eligible for the payment have been able to submit a claim on their local council’s website since December 13, and all applications must be received before the closing date on February 18.

The Department for Work and Pensions and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs have confirmed that this payment will not affect an individual’s current benefits or be subject to tax.