A PILOT scheme to provide £10 per week for children in Wales took a step closer on Friday, as the group implementing it met for the first time.

The flagship “Cynnal” policy to help relieve child poverty in Wales was in Plaid Cymru’s Senedd election manifesto.

The Welsh government has now set up an expert group to plan and implement the payment in a pilot scheme.

Cynnal is based on child payments made by the Scottish government and will provide £10 a week to up to 15,000 children in universal credit households before it is rolled out more widely.

Co-chair of the expert panel and Bevan Foundation CEO Steffan Evans said: “A Welsh child payment would be a powerful lever to address child poverty.

“I am therefore delighted that the work of establishing the Cynnal pilot is now underway.

“I look forward to working with other members of the group to ensure that the pilot works as effectively as possible, something that would be a major step forward in tackling child poverty in Wales.”

Around 30 per cent of children in Wales live in poverty and previous Welsh Labour governments have struggled to tackle the issue.

The group, co-chaired by Deputy First Minister Sioned Williams, brings together a team from academia, research, front-line services and Welsh government.

Ms Williams said: “Too many families in Wales are struggling with the pressures of rising costs and insecure work.

“We are committed to tackling the injustice of child poverty and have made it a core government priority.”

Save the Children’s Cymru Mari Williams is also a member of the group and said a weekly child payment would make a very real difference.

“We know from listening to children how deeply poverty affects children’s lives, not only limiting access to essentials but also shaping children’s relationships, opportunities and wellbeing.

“Cynnal will help families meet basic needs, enable children to take part in childhood activities that would otherwise be out of reach, and support children to thrive.”

One of the issues the Welsh government will have to tackle is how the Department for Work and Pensions treats the payment and whether it deducts money from universal credit claimants.