Protecting Welsh Households from the Rising Cost of Living

Increasing energy costs, stagnating wages, a rise in food and fuel prices and cruel cuts to welfare will result in Welsh households facing hundreds, if not thousands of pounds’ worth of extra costs this year. Thousands of households are already struggling to pay for everyday items.

Much of this is the result of policies implemented by the London Tory government.

While we will continue to call for action by Governments in Cardiff and Westminster, Plaid Cymru councillors and local authorities can take steps to protect families, by:

• Taking ownership of local energy production and investing in green energy schemes.
• Making people’s homes more energy efficient, with better insulation leading to lower energy use.
• Strengthen local supply chains and support local businesses, to safeguard local jobs and incomes.

At a national level, Plaid Cymru is taking bold steps to protect Welsh household budgets against future crises, by:

• Introducing free school meals for primary school children, and a commitment to the aim of extending universal free school meals to secondary pupils within the next council term
• Expanding access to free childcare for children aged two and over on a universal basis
• Creating a national energy company, Ynni Cymru, to establish community-owned renewable energy schemes, helping us cut ties with multinational, profit-exporting companies
• Taking steps to ensure that the regressive Council Tax system is updated to be fairer