WALES needs to take a wrecking ball to the barriers disabled people face getting and keeping a job as a “tsunami” of proposed benefits cuts approaches, the Senedd heard.

Jenny Rathbone led a debate on the Senedd equality committee’s report on tackling the disability employment gap, which found too many people face unnecessary barriers.

The gap, which is the difference of employment rates between disabled and non-disabled people, stands at 31% in Wales and has consistently been higher than elsewhere in Britain.

Ms Rathbone said: “We are running out of time. We must get on with it now. This is not about pay slips and productivity – it is about independence, dignity, equality of opportunity and what matters so much to the wellbeing of the individual and of society as a whole.”

The Labour politician, who chairs the equality and social justice committee, told the Senedd: “We need action this day and we need a wrecking ball to the barriers.”

Conservative Altaf Hussain warned that 26% of employed disabled people have not received any reasonable adjustments despite the right being enshrined in the Equality Act 2010.

He pointed to research showing the average cost of adjustments was £75, saying: “We know conclusively it’s not expensive to treat disabled people properly but barriers, sadly, still exist.”

Plaid Cymru’s Sioned Williams warned UK ministers’ proposals to cut benefits, including personal independence payment (Pip), will have a “cataclysmic” impact on disabled people.

She told the Senedd: “The specific barriers that disabled people face in accessing employment, identified in our report, must be addressed before changes to eligibility and support for disabled people are implemented.”

Ms Williams urged Welsh ministers to keep a promise to incorporate the UN convention on the rights of disabled people into law by the end of the Senedd term.

Labour’s Hefin David raised the Engage to Change project, which provided employment support to more than 1,000 young people before funding ran out in 2023. “Having that kind of programme running full-time across Wales would be really important,” he said.

Calling for a learning disability employment strategy for Wales, the Caerphilly Senedd Member emphasised the importance of shaping jobs to people’s unique skills.

Dr David, whose daughter is autistic and learning disabled, said: “My daughter can’t read very well, she can’t count very well but you put some plasticine in front of her and she’ll create some amazing things that go way beyond anything I could do.”

Welsh Liberal Democrat leader Jane Dodds said: “Far too many disabled people are feeling let down: they’re losing out but much more importantly we are losing out in society.”

Ms Dodds warned 90% of people in Wales on the standard rate of Pip for daily living could lose their entitlement under proposals. She said: “Instead of being empowered, people are being pushed aside, left to navigate a storm of rising need and shrinking support.”

The ex-social worker urged the Senedd to show leadership, with disabled people making up about 7% of the Welsh Parliament’s staff compared with 11% in the wider Welsh workforce.

Mark Isherwood, who chairs the cross-party group on disability, expressed concerns about Welsh ministers accepting five of the committee’s seven recommendations “in principle”.

He described the Welsh Government’s formal response as inadequate and unacceptable in light of a 2018 commitment to end the practice from the then-permanent secretary.

Labour’s Julie Morgan recounted a “horror story” from one witness about a young disabled girl being the only pupil in her school year who was not allowed to go out on placement.

She also raised evidence from campaigner Dan Biddle who warned statistics show if you are disabled and not in work by the age of 26, it is unlikely you will ever become employed.

Ms Morgan said: “That’s why it is so important to start early, to make sure that disabled children and young people are given absolutely equal rights right from the beginning.”

Responding to the debate on June 11, Jane Hutt said ensuring disabled people can participate fully in society is one of the key values of the Welsh Government.

She told Senedd Members: “We want an inclusive approach to employment that supports disabled people to have equitable access to fulfilling and fair work.”

Wales’ social justice secretary highlighted an ongoing consultation on a draft ten-year disability rights plan which has been criticised for lacking concrete targets.

Pressed for a timeline on incorporating the UN convention, which was an unambiguous commitment in Labour’s 2021 manifesto, Ms Hutt did not provide any such timeframe.

SENEDD Members called for urgent action to tackle the “existential crisis” of abuse, harassment and intimidation faced by politicians on social media.

Plaid Cymru’s Adam Price, the first openly-gay man in his party to be elected to national office, warned prejudices based on sex, race and sexual orientation have been reinvigorated.

He told the Senedd: “It is getting worse by the day, and it really represents an existential crisis for our democracy and our society.”

Mr Price said: “For our democracy to be effective, it has to be diverse. Diversity trumps ability. It’s a piece of evidence in social science.”

The former Plaid Cymru leader called for a focus on representation of trans women and men, a community “under siege”, to ensure their voices are heard in the Senedd.

Mr Price highlighted harmful comments below news stories involving him in recent weeks. “That certainly won’t deter me and I hope it won’t deter anyone else,” he said. “But we’ve got to do something about it collectively, haven’t we?”

Labour’s Hannah Blythyn expressed concerns that Wales could go backwards in terms of equality of representation at the next Senedd election in less than 12 months.

She warned that online abuse, misogyny and homophobia are rife across society.

Ms Blythyn told Senedd Members: “I very much made an active decision when I had the opportunity to stand in this legislature because of the make-up – that there were more women here, that it was more representative.”

She emphasised that diversity not only changes the face of politics but its focus too, saying: “It makes what we do and the policies that we produce so much better because we are experts by our own life experiences.”

Jane Hutt, Wales’ social justice secretary, acknowledged the rise of abuse, harassment and intimidation towards politicians, candidates and campaigners.

During a statement on June 10, she told the Senedd: “This is a significant barrier to participation in politics, particularly for people from under-represented groups.”

She outlined voluntary diversity and inclusion guidance for political parties which aims to ensure democratic bodies are truly representative of all the people of Wales.

Ms Hutt said safety costs will be exempt from spending limits for Welsh elections, in line with calls from the Jo Cox Foundation, which was set up after the Labour MP’s murder in 2016.

She added that Welsh ministers are working with regulator Ofcom, which has new enforcement powers, around the misuse and abuse of online media.

Altaf Hussain, the Kashmir-born Conservative who represents South Wales West, warned guidance on equal representation risks crossing a dangerous line.

The former surgeon said: “Equality of access cannot come just by bureaucratic diktats or targets that treat individuals not as nuanced, valued voices but boxes to tick.

“This removes merit, choice and, frankly, voters’ rights deciding who is best representing them. Let’s not replace one form of exclusion with another altogether; the truest diversity only flourishes where and when freedom leads.”

Plaid Cymru’s Sioned Williams said progress on underrepresentation of women in politics has slowed and, in some parts of democracy, has gone into reverse. She pointed out that the number of female leaders in councils has halved to only 9%.

Ms Williams warned the voluntary guidance was published “far too late” and represe

WALES’ finance secretary Mark Drakeford confirmed plans for a land value tax remain on the table as a potential long-term replacement for council tax and business rates.

The former First Minister said the Welsh Government continues to explore the feasibility of a land value tax as used in countries such as Denmark and Singapore.

Professor Drakeford has long supported a land value tax (LVT), arguing those who have the privilege of ownership should pay something back for that privilege.

While council tax is regressive because it imposes a lower burden on the rich than the poor, LVT is progressive as it flips that proposition around.

As the name suggests, land value tax (LVT), which has been described by some economists as the “perfect tax”,  is levied on the value of the land rather than the property itself.

Proponents argue LVT is easier to collect, more efficient and difficult to avoid, while discouraging speculation and encouraging people to bring idle land back into use.

Prof Drakeford told the Senedd: “I am anxious to see this discussion move beyond the theoretical and into the realms of the practically possible.”

He explained that the Welsh Government has invited tenders to test approaches to valuing land, with submissions for every aspect of the work despite some initial scepticism.

The finance secretary, who will stand down at the 2026 election, said: “I want to use the coming months to test the boundaries of what might be possible in the next Senedd term.

“Let’s open the door to more radical, fundamental and progressive reform in the future.”

In a statement on local taxes on June 10, Prof Drakeford highlighted ongoing consultations on council tax discounts and enforcement as well as business rates reform.

He said: “The current system is unfairly weighted against those who experience difficulty in paying. I want to shift the focus from harmful escalation towards supportive prevention.”

Prof Drakeford stated ministers will introduce a new council tax appeals process by April 2026 that will be “easier to navigate and provide a better, modern system for taxpayers”.

Peter Fox, who led Monmouthshire Council for a decade, agreed that council tax is regressive by nature “and that it will never really become a fair local tax”.

The Tory welcomed confirmation that the “crucial” 25% single person discount will remain but warned of the impact of continual increases in tax bills – including a 7.2% average this year.

Mr Fox accused the Welsh Government of increasing tax on families “by stealth” through underfunding councils which, in turn, pass on the shortfall to people. He called for reform of the “outdated and flawed” local government funding formula.

Prof Drakeford replied: “Almost every local authority in Wales will agree that the formula needs revision – nobody can agree on how that should be done. The 22 local authorities each believe that the formula uniquely disadvantages them.”

Heledd Fychan, Plaid Cymru’s shadow finance secretary, agreed with the need for more radical and progressive change in the longer term.

Ms Fychan urged the Welsh Government to rethink proposals to stop considering a hospital as an individual’s long-term or permanent home for council tax purposes.

She said: “We know of examples where people have had to remain for a very long time in hospital. It’s not the patient’s fault. It doesn’t appear fair to me that they should be penalised.”