THE coronavirus pandemic has worsened inequalities in Wales, and the Welsh Government's recovery plan must prioritise those who have lost the most, a Senedd committee has warned.

As the threat of financial hardship and mass lay-offs continues to loom over vast swathes of the economy, ministers from the Senedd's Equality, Local Government and Communities Committee have recommended a massive public information campaign to educate workers on their employment rights and their rights to access government support.

“The UK government’s furlough scheme will soon come to an end and many could lose their jobs at the end of it," committee chairman and Newport East MS John Griffiths said. "It’s critical that people know their rights and what support is available to them to stop people falling into crisis as we move into the next phase of the crisis."

MORE NEWS:

Published today (Monday), the committee's new report, Into sharp relief: inequality and the pandemic, makes a series of recommendations to the Welsh Government on how the nation's coronavirus response must do more to help the people hardest-hit by the effects of Covid-19.

Their recommendations include:

  • A large-scale benefits take-up campaign to make sure people are accessing the government support to which they are entitled. This includes promotion of the Discretionary Assistance Fund for people in extreme financial hardship, including those waiting for their first Universal Credit payment. Oxfam told the committee that "there is [currently] a real issue with the accessibility of the fund".
  • Non-EEA migrants should be allowed to apply for other benefits. They are currently allowed to apply for the furlough scheme and self-employed support scheme, but when these end (in October), migrants who go on to lose their jobs "could be forced into destitution, especially if travel restrictions prevent them from leaving the UK". The committee is urging the Welsh Government to lobby Westminster for the change.
  • More public health messaging for groups disproportionately affected by the pandemic. This includes groups more likely to be exposed to Covid-19, such as ethnic-minority health workers, but also groups more likely to experience mental health issues because of the ongoing crisis. "We are concerned that there could be a perfect storm of increased demand for support coupled with reduced availability of timely and accessible services," the committee said. "This is before we consider the potential impact of any forthcoming recession, and the additional risks this may pose to mental health."
  • More guidance on making social-distancing compatible with accessibility for disabled people. "The swift introduction of changes to public spaces and streets needs to ensure that the needs of disabled people are considered, by painting kerbs when pavements are widened, and colour contracts and tactile markings," the committee said. Consideration must also be given to blind people and people with learning disabilities.
  • Council tax support for people struggling to pay, including discounts for unpaid carers. Council tax debt enforcement should be paused for up to 12 months to "minimise undue hardship", the committee said.

The committee's full report is available online.