Adam Hart
Guest Reporter
Wales’ Labour government have awarded the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller (GRT) community £500,000 to keep warm this winter while roughly half a million Welsh pensioners lose their winter fuel allowance.
A senior Tory source in Wales said: “The Labour government are happy taking money from our pensioners and forcing them to choose between heating and eating, yet they can find half a million pounds for the gypsy traveller community.
“Obviously, we don’t want to see anyone getting cold, but our pensioners are clearly vulnerable. Let’s put our pensioners first.”
The source was referring to Keir Starmer’s Westminster government who axed winter fuel payments earlier this year for all but the poorest pensioners - those eligible for pension credit.
The move provoked fury as many poor pensioners struggle to cope with energy costs, the cap for which was raised today.
Labour defended the move saying tough decisions needed to be made to fill the £22billion black hole in the nation’s finances.
Estimates provided by the government predict that in the years ending March 2025, March 2026 and March 2028 there will be an additional 50,000 pensioners in relative poverty after housing costs thanks to the axing.
The Welsh government’s winter fuel payment for the GRT community is part of the wider ‘Anti-racist Wales Action Plan’, part of which focuses on digital inclusion for travellers.
For digital inclusivity, the Government plan to give gypsies free sim cards, improve access to electricity and ‘deliver face to face essential digital skills and digital champions training’.
The Anti-racist Wales Action Plan, which hopes to change the 'beliefs and behaviour of the white majority' in Wales, has been criticised as a waste of money and not the priority of the Welsh people.
One element of the report widely reported this week was the creation of 'dog-free areas in local green spaces', as per advice of environmental group Climate Cymru BAME.
In response, a spokesman for the Welsh government insisted it was not planning to act on the proposal and dogs 'would continue to be welcomed in the hills of Wales'.
LATEST FROM MEMBERSHIP:
The winter fuel payment for the GRT community was discussed in the Senedd last week. John Griffiths, Labour Senedd member for Newport East, said: “Cabinet Secretary, it was good to hear you mention the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller community, and the need for equity for those communities in your remarks.
“The 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan', I think, is potentially a big step forward for those communities, and you'll be very familiar with the need for new local authority residential sites, to improve existing sites, and the need to facilitate private smaller sites, and indeed in relation to transit sites.
“There is more to do to support this disadvantaged community as we continue to deliver against out Anti-racist Wales Action Plan goals to ensure that we live in a truly fair and equal Wales where no-one is held back or left behind.”
Leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies MS said: “The Welsh Government will struggle to plug the gaps caused by the winter fuel payment cut, which they have publicly defended.
“It’s crucial that Labour reverse their cruel and unforgivable decision to scrap winter fuel payments.”
Asked to comment on whether pensioners were being treated the same as the GRT community, a Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We provided £700,000 for the Fuel Bank Foundation to support anyone in Wales who pre-pay their fuel meters and are at risk of disconnection.
“We have also provided £75K to the Good Things Foundation which works with mobile phone operators to help address digital exclusion. This includes the provision of free data SIMs to residents in low income households across the UK.
“We are not responsible for the benefit system in Wales.”
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A senior Tory source in Wales said: “The Labour government are happy taking money from our pensioners and forcing them to choose between heating and eating, yet they can find half a million pounds for the gypsy traveller community.
“Obviously, we don’t want to see anyone getting cold, but our pensioners are clearly vulnerable. Let’s put our pensioners first.”
The source was referring to Keir Starmer’s Westminster government who axed winter fuel payments earlier this year for all but the poorest pensioners - those eligible for pension credit.
The move provoked fury as many poor pensioners struggle to cope with energy costs, the cap for which was raised today.
Labour defended the move saying tough decisions needed to be made to fill the £22billion black hole in the nation’s finances.
Estimates provided by the government predict that in the years ending March 2025, March 2026 and March 2028 there will be an additional 50,000 pensioners in relative poverty after housing costs thanks to the axing.
The Welsh government’s winter fuel payment for the GRT community is part of the wider ‘Anti-racist Wales Action Plan’, part of which focuses on digital inclusion for travellers.
For digital inclusivity, the Government plan to give gypsies free sim cards, improve access to electricity and ‘deliver face to face essential digital skills and digital champions training’.
The Anti-racist Wales Action Plan, which hopes to change the 'beliefs and behaviour of the white majority' in Wales, has been criticised as a waste of money and not the priority of the Welsh people.
One element of the report widely reported this week was the creation of 'dog-free areas in local green spaces', as per advice of environmental group Climate Cymru BAME.
In response, a spokesman for the Welsh government insisted it was not planning to act on the proposal and dogs 'would continue to be welcomed in the hills of Wales'.
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The winter fuel payment for the GRT community was discussed in the Senedd last week. John Griffiths, Labour Senedd member for Newport East, said: “Cabinet Secretary, it was good to hear you mention the Gypsy, Roma, Traveller community, and the need for equity for those communities in your remarks.
“The 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan', I think, is potentially a big step forward for those communities, and you'll be very familiar with the need for new local authority residential sites, to improve existing sites, and the need to facilitate private smaller sites, and indeed in relation to transit sites.
“There is more to do to support this disadvantaged community as we continue to deliver against out Anti-racist Wales Action Plan goals to ensure that we live in a truly fair and equal Wales where no-one is held back or left behind.”
Leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies MS said: “The Welsh Government will struggle to plug the gaps caused by the winter fuel payment cut, which they have publicly defended.
“It’s crucial that Labour reverse their cruel and unforgivable decision to scrap winter fuel payments.”
Asked to comment on whether pensioners were being treated the same as the GRT community, a Welsh Government spokesperson said: “We provided £700,000 for the Fuel Bank Foundation to support anyone in Wales who pre-pay their fuel meters and are at risk of disconnection.
“We have also provided £75K to the Good Things Foundation which works with mobile phone operators to help address digital exclusion. This includes the provision of free data SIMs to residents in low income households across the UK.
“We are not responsible for the benefit system in Wales.”
Find Out More...