MS seeking ‘urgent support for social enterprise facing £71k NI bill

Dale Spridgeon, local democracy reporter

The rise in National Insurance costs has sparked a plea for “urgent support” for a centre which helps vulnerable people.

Arfon MS Siân Gwenllian has raised the plight of Antur Waunfawr in the Senedd.

The social enterprise, which helps people with a range of learning disabilities, including profound and complex disabilities, said it was facing “significant financial pressure” to provide its services.

Its chief executive Ellen Thirsk had called on the Government to urgently provide “additional financial support” after being hit by a £71,648 bill for NI.

Mrs Gwenllian said she feared that Antur was just one organisation across Wales helping vulnerable people which faced cuts to its services.

Urgent support

During a plenary debate, the MS called on the Welsh Government to provide urgent support for third sector organisations struggling with increased national insurance costs and asked what support was available.

Her “focus” was on how the government would support third sector organisations “facing grave challenges” as a result of this increase.

“Antur Waunfawr provides a centre for adults with learning difficulties in our communities and in the workplace in Arfon,” she said.

“The Antur is facing a challenging financial situation and needs to pay £71,684 in national insurance contributions.

“Similar organisations face similar challenges across Wales, with vulnerable people facing cuts to services as a result of that.”

She asked for a “statement on this issue covering the impact of the increase, but, more importantly, what support can be provided to the third sector from this Government”.

Pressures

In response, Social Justice Secretary Jane Hutt said: “I’m very pleased with the uplift that I have received in my portfolio in terms of support for the third sector.

“Clearly, decisions were not made by this Government, but those pressures that are coming forward are something where we are looking to hear some update for those in the public sector.

“But, particularly, I think the uplift I’ve given to the infrastructure of Wales will help the third sector infrastructure for Wales, which includes our county voluntary councils, and will be beneficial to those in the third sector.”

Regarding Antur Waunfawr specifically, she stated: “I would hope that they would get advice and support from their local voluntary council, which we’re supporting, but also to recognise that there have been uplifts in the employment allowance for smaller employers in the third sector, and in terms of numbers of employees as well.”

Chief Executive of Antur Waunfawr Ellen Thirsk said: “The rising cost of National Insurance is placing significant financial pressure on third-sector organisations such as Antur Waunfawr.

“As an innovative social enterprise in our field, committed to supporting people with a range of learning disabilities, including profound and complex disabilities, we are already operating within very tight margins, and an additional bill of £71,684 per year is a serious challenge for us.

“Higher costs like this limit our ability to develop essential services and forces us to make cuts that we do not want to make.

“We have already significantly reduced our running costs over the past two years, and the current economic climate is unsustainable, considering that we provide care services worth up to £2.1 million in Gwynedd.

“We are calling on the Government to urgently provide additional financial support.”