Helen Mary Jones

THIS can be a very expensive time of year. As a lone parent myself I know the pressure that can pile on, especially when children are young and you want to give them the best.

I would encourage people to save with the local credit union or you can take a loan out with them to pay for presents. And for families that find themselves in financial trouble after Christmas try your local credit union and see if they can help.

We need to keep supporting our local food banks. People are often very generous in the run up to Christmas, but many families will continue to struggle and may need our help even more.

Plaid Cymru has called for the Labour led Welsh Government to adopt a clear plan to tackle poverty in Wales. We have also called for powers over welfare and benefits.

If we had the powers we could protect some of our most vulnerable people in Welsh society from the worst policies imposed by the Conservative government in Westminster Noone claims that taking control of the administration of Universal Credit would solve all the problems, but what Plaid is seeking is full control of the benefits system.

The Welsh Government could as the independent think tank the Bevan Foundation has said, make a real difference, particularly in terms of how benefits are paid. If you wish to contact me about these or any other issues email: HelenMary. Jones@assembly.wales