AN EXTRA £11 million is being made available to help families facing hardship as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Welsh Government is increasing the amount of funding for the Discretionary Assistance Fund (DAF) to support the calls for financial help from people across Wales.

As the stay-at-home restrictions continue, families have been turning to the fund for additional support.

The minister for housing and local government Julie James has also called on the UK Government to make urgent changes to Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) to provide faster help to those who need it.

Deputy minister for housing and local government Hannah Blythyn said: “These are some of the most vulnerable people in our society, who, through no fault of their own, find themselves facing a significant change of circumstances. It’s only right that we do all we can to protect them from extreme financial pressure.

“The funding I am announcing today will help us support as many people as we can through this period of financial hardship.”

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The DAF provides grant funding to support people experiencing extreme hardship. Many of people will be the most vulnerable in society due to issues relating to poverty, physical and mental health issues and are therefore at greater risk from the impacts of coronavirus.

Ms James has written to the UK Government urging it to change Discretionary Housing Payments. These are available to people in receipt of Housing Benefit and Universal Credit, but there is a five-week wait to receive it.

People who are not entitled to either of these two benefits, but are on reduced incomes due to coronavirus, have no entitlement to the payments.

Ms James said: “I’m very concerned tenants in the social and private rented sector may face difficulties meeting housing costs in the face of reduced incomes during the current crisis.

“We are, of course, encouraging individuals and households to seek support through Universal Credit and the range of government schemes, but many still face financial difficulty and we need to do as much as possible to support them.”