COUNCIL staff who missed out on a £735 Welsh Government payment recognising those who provided essential care during the Covid-19 pandemic will start to receive payments in September, a council leader has promised.

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council leader Cllr Steve Thomas made the vow at a meeting on Thursday, July 21.

In April 2021, health and social care workers were given a one-off ‘Welsh Government NHS and Social Care Financial Recognition’ payment.

The scheme had been introduced to recognise and reward the hard work and commitment to those who have provided essential care to the most vulnerable citizens during the Covid-19 pandemic.

But staff from workforce development, early years childcare and play, families first, and Flying Start departments that are all part of the councils’ social services directorate and did not receive payment.

They had originally qualified for government payments, but the guidance subsequently changed, and they missed out.

In Blaenau Gwent, around 100 members of staff missed out.

In February, Cllr Thomas presented a motion to rectify this and provide the payment debated by council, but lost the vote as most Independent councillors voted “reluctantly” against it.

Independent group deputy leader Cllr Wayne Hodgins said: “You said that this matter would be put right once you came into power.

“When will that happen and from what budget will it be paid from so that it doesn’t cause a cost pressure?”

Cllr Thomas said: “We declared we would pay that amount to the employees that were named in the motion.

“Money has been set aside and in anticipation of that we’ll bring a report forward to bring that to fruition.

“We felt is that there was a natural injustice, I made that plain in the motion and to the press.

“Look towards September and you’ll see that happen.

“We’ve said we’ll pay it and pay it we will.”

He added that the money would be coming from a budget underspend.