Plaid Cymru have secured an urgent Senedd debate on the impact of the UK Labour Government’s changes to welfare spending on Wales.

Plaid Cymru’s social justice spokesperson Sioned Williams requested the urgent debate in the Senedd. The debate will be held today, Wednesday, April 2.

Calling for the debate, Sioned Williams stressed the unknown impact on Wales of the Labour Government’s decision to cut welfare spending which specifically targeted disability benefits, saying “Whatever your view of the chancellor’s reforms the indisputable fact is that we have no official assessment of the impact”.

Ms Williams raised concerns raised by charities and campaigners that the changes will “do nothing to help people get into work” as the UK Government have claimed.

She continued by urging the First Minister to share the content of a letter received by the Department for Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall – a letter which both the UK and Welsh Government have not yet published.

The Plaid Cymru MS criticised the Labour Welsh Government’s lack of transparency, saying that “one written statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance is inadequate and an exchange of letters by two Labour colleagues with little or no transparency is unacceptable”.

Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson on Social Justice, Sioned Williams MS, said: “The welfare reforms announced by the Chancellor as part of the UK government’s Spring budget could push an additional 50,000 children in poverty, according to the government’s own assessment.

“Initial analysis from the Resolution Foundation said the combination of a weak economic outlook and benefit cuts that fall disproportionately on lower-income families means that average income for the poorest half of households is on track to fall by £500 on average over the next five years.

“Disabled charities and campaigners have renewed their criticisms of the changes, as restricting eligibility for PIP and freezing the health element of universal credit will do nothing to help people get into work.

“Whatever your view of the chancellor’s reforms the indisputable fact is that we have no official assessment of the impact of these reforms will have on the people of Wales or on the Welsh government’s budget.

“This is evidenced by a letter from the First Minister to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in which she asked the UK government to provide a Wales specific assessment and also in a tv interview in which the Secretary of State for Wales defended the ‘England and Wales’ status of the assessment.

“We deserve better than this after a quarter of a century of devolution.

“The First Minister is now in receipt of a response from the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions but its contents are unsurprisingly lacking in data or any Welsh-specific impact assessment.

“Members from all sides of the chamber have voiced their concerns about the Chancellor’s plans and Members deserve timely and adequate opportunity to scrutinise their impact and the Welsh government’s response to them.

“One written statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance is inadequate and an exchange of letters by two Labour colleagues with little or no transparency is unacceptable.

“That is why we need this debate.”