Jane Dodds has asked the Welsh Government what it is doing to help keep people warm this winter.

The Mid and West Wales MS said at the Senedd that changes to winter fuel payments introduced by the UK Government have significantly increased hardship for thousands of pensioners this winter.

She said: “In my home county of Powys, 90 per cent of pensioners will lose out on this vital support.

“The Welsh Government's Warm Homes programme, whilst well-intentioned, is progressing far too slowly.

“At the current pace, the Bevan Foundation reports it will take 136 years to address all fuel-poor households, which is an unacceptable generational failure.

“It's further exacerbated by outdated data on fuel poverty, relying on housing stock surveys decades old hampering our ability to be effective.

“We are, again, halfway through this winter, and this issue has been raised time and time again.”

Ms Dodds asked the Trefnydd, Jane Hutt, what she will do to ensure that Welsh homes are warm and that this programme can be implemented more quickly.

Ms Hutt said the Warm Homes scheme is making £30 million available to reduce the number of low-income households living in cold, damp homes.

She also listed other ways in which the Government is helping people in need of support, including encouraging eligible pensioners to sign up for pension credit.

Earlier this year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced the £300 payment would be restricted to all but the poorest pensioners - those eligible for pension credit.

Statistics from the Department of Working Pensions have revealed that 10,728 of those aged over 80 in Powys are at risk of losing support payments due to the cuts.

Speaking after the debate, Ms Dodds said it was “imperative that we ensure our most vulnerable are not left to fend for themselves this winter".