Citizens Advice say 60% of people helped with crisis support since 2020 have had long-term health conditions or disabilities.
People in crisis need more flexible support through schemes offered by the Welsh Government, a new report recommends.
Crisis support offers a vital lifeline for thousands of people across Wales - without it many would be in far worse situations. Citizens Advice Cymru’s new report investigates how current schemes work and reveals how crisis support is being stretched to do a job it was never designed to do.
The assistance available through the Discretionary Assistance Fund, food bank referrals, fuel vouchers and Discretionary Housing Payments continues to be essential. In the first eight months of 2024 alone, local Citizens Advice offices in Wales have helped over 25,289 people with at least one form of crisis support. This has helped keep homes warm, keep the power on and put food on the table.
People in particular groups or situations are feeling the pressure even more acutely. Of the people helped with crisis support in Wales since 2020:
- 60% had a long-term health condition or disability
- 74% were single adult households including single parents
- 53% lived in social housing
The worrying reality emerging is that crisis interventions are no longer a one-off form of assistance, but a recurring necessity just to stay afloat. The charity is warning that the nature of being in crisis has changed. What was an unexpected, short-term event in a person’s life has now shifted to an ongoing struggle of not having enough money indefinitely.
The charity emphasises that broader policy reforms are needed to reduce the growing reliance on crisis support for everyday essentials and bills, many of which are the responsibility of the UK Government, including ensuring benefit payments are at least enough to cover essential costs, and improving energy support so it’s more targeted.
Until these reforms are implemented, Citizens Advice Cymru is calling on the Welsh Government to protect, maintain and strengthen existing support such as the Discretionary Assistance Fund to help people now and over the coming months.
Simon Hatch, Director of Citizens Advice Cymru said: “Crisis support offers a vital lifeline for thousands of people across Wales - without it many would be in far worse situations”
“Our findings show how crisis support is being stretched to do a job it was never designed to do, and for some people it’s falling short of meeting their needs.
“Support is vital to protect people from facing even tougher times which could lead to wider problems such as detrimental impacts on their health and potential homelessness.
“We can’t tackle a challenge of this scale alone. Broader policy reforms are needed, but we also need to ensure existing support is working for people now. This includes protecting future funding for the Welsh Government’s Discretionary Assistance Fund and boosting the allocation for the next financial year so this vital support continues to be there for everyone in need.
“We would also like to see more flexibility built into the scheme so it better reflects individual needs and circumstances, rather than a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach.”
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