Conservative Senedd member for the Vale of Glamorgan and Bridgend Andrew RT Davies has condemned Senedd ministers’ decision to keep the eligibility criteria of a welfare payout scheme secret.
The Discretionary Assistance Fund provides two types of grants recipients do not have to pay back.
While a basic outline of eligibility criteria is published on Welsh Government’s website, they have refused to provide the full criteria.
Applications are assessed with reference to a “Decision Makers’ Guide”, which sets out the full eligibility criteria of the scheme.
Ministers rejected a Freedom of Information request to release it. They argued allowing the public to see the full list of eligibility criteria would lead to an increase in applications.
They also warned doing so would potentially attract fraudulent claims.
Mr Davies said the argument “does not stack up”, and insisted the public have a right to know the criteria by which ministers are handing out public funds.
Mr Davies said:
“Senedd ministers are handing out public funds yet are keeping the criteria by which they do this secret.
“This will fuel perceptions monies are being handed to individuals and groups inappropriately – it also leads us to ask just what they have to hide.
“Plaid Cymru separatists must take immediate steps to release the information.”
ENDS
NOTE: Link to the Freedom of Information request can be found here
https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2026-04/atisn26865_0.pdf
NOTE: Link to Welsh Government’s webpages on the Discretionary Assistance Fund can be found here
https://www.gov.wales/discretionary-assistance-fund-daf/eligibility
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