Jane Dodds says the UK Government’s refusal to scrap the two-child welfare benefit cap is driving more children into “relative poverty” in her region and across Wales.

The Mid and West Wales MS raised the issue with First Minister, Eluned Morgan, at the Senedd today (Tuesday).

She asked Ms Morgan to outline the Welsh Government's strategy to reduce the number of children living in relative poverty.

The First Minister said the Welsh Government’s child poverty strategy was launched in January and sets out long-term ambitions to tackle child poverty and “to mitigate the worst impacts of poverty” in Wales.

“It also notes how we will work across Government and with partners to maximise the impact of the levers available to us,” she said.

Ms Dodds said: “Over the past six years, we've seen a startling increase in the number of larger families who are living in relative poverty.

“43 per cent of children in households of three or more are now at risk of relative poverty. That represents a staggering 100,000 children in Wales.

“The two-child benefit cap is a key factor driving that crisis. This policy, widely criticised as being cruel and a violation of children's rights by numerous civil society organisations, including the Children's Commissioner for Wales, affects over 11 per cent of children—65,000 children.

“In Brecon and Radnorshire, nearly 1,000 children are living in families affected by the two-child benefit cap.

“This week, the Child Poverty Action Group said that 10,000 children have fallen into poverty since Labour took office in Westminster.”

Ms Dodds called on Ms Morgan to raise this issue again with the Prime Minister.

She said: “I'm also reflecting on the fact that my party, when we were in Government in the coalition, made mistakes. I'm very clear on record as saying that one of those was playing our role in austerity.

“We are all adults here and we should be able to acknowledge that people make mistakes.

“I'm calling on the First Minister to say that she believes that the two-child benefit cap and the failure of the Labour Government to scrap it is a mistake.”

Ms Morgan said: “I think there are lots of people within the Labour Party who are very uncomfortable about it; that's the truth of it, but there is the £22 billion black hole that is difficult to fill.

“What we've got to do in Wales is do what we can to support children living in poverty, and that's why things like the free-school-meal support are absolutely fundamental so that at least they're getting a hot meal once a day, so there is some support there.”

Ms Morgan said there are “a huge number of other areas” where the Welsh Government gives support, in particular to vulnerable families.

She told Ms Dodds: “We gave about £5 billion-worth between 2022 and 2025.

“That's not a small amount of money to give support to some of the most vulnerable people. So, where we can, we will provide that support.

“But the kinds of quantities of money that you would need are simply beyond the ability of the Welsh Government to support.”