POVERTY campaigners in Wales revealed today that the cost-of-living crisis is set to have a devastating impact this winter in Wales.

The Bevan Foundation released its latest Snapshot of Poverty series in Wales and said that no progress has been made in reducing the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on Welsh families. 

A quarter of people in Wales are eating smaller meals or skipping meals, while others have been pushed into debt with 29 per cent of people borrowing money and 13 per cent being in arrears on a bill. 

The impact of the cost-of-living crisis is particularly severe for people on benefits, renters, disabled people and parents of children under 18, according to the Bevan Foundation.

Almost half of people on benefits have skipped or cut down on the size of a meal, with the same being true for 48 per cent of private renters and 46 per cent of disabled people. 

The Bevan Foundation’s Dr Steffan Evans said: “Our latest findings reveal that things are not getting better and for thousands of people life continues to be extremely difficult.

“The big packages of support from the British and Welsh government are not going to be there this winter and so it is going to be a very hard winter for some people in Wales.”

The Welsh government responded to the report by detailing where they have previously spent money but refused to answer whether it would ring-fence some of the support paid to the poorest in Wales.

A Welsh government spokesman said: “This year we have provided £38.5 million for our discretionary assistance fund (DAF), which provides lifeline emergency cash payments for people facing severe financial pressures.”

But the Welsh government refused to rule out cuts to the DAF as it considers reducing its budget by £900m.

Welsh People’s Assembly activist Adam Johannes said: “It is unacceptable for the people in Wales to experience the serious adverse effects of another Tory government budget. 

“Over 13 years of austerity have seriously damaged public services in Wales. What is required is an emergency needs-based financial review of all Welsh public services.”