A MID and West Wales MS has said she is “genuinely afraid for her constituents” as the cost-of-living crisis grows.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Leader and Senedd Member Jane Dodds has called on the Conservative UK Government to expand help to those vulnerable by expanding the warm homes discount among other measures.

As of 2017, the number of households living in fuel poverty was at 23 per cent in Gwynedd, 21 per cent in Ceredigion, and 17 per cent - well above the national rate for Wales which sits at 10 per cent, and Ms Dodds said that “these figures are likely to have increased as the pandemic and recent price increases have hit.”

“I am genuinely afraid for a lot of my constituents right now,” Ms Dodds said.

“I know so many of them were already struggling already, and it is utterly heart breaking to hear stories of parents having to choose to feed themselves or their children, or between heating and eating.

“The recent price rises will push some families over the edge, and it is beyond frustrating to see the sheer levels of inaction at Westminster.

“Rishi Sunak [UK Chancellor] did nothing in his spring statement to address the elephant in room of high energy prices.”

The calls come as the Welsh Government set out the full £380m package to help residents in Wales get through a period which the Office for Budget Responsibility said was the “biggest fall in living standards in the UK since records began.”

Minister for Social Justice, Jane Hutt said: “The cost-of-living crisis is affecting every household across Wales, disgracefully, we have people that are being forced to make the unfortunate decision of whether to heat or to eat.

“This is completely unacceptable for a modern day society. If the UK Government were serious about tackling the problem we would see real solutions and not soundbites about levelling up, when it’s clear for all to see, they’re levelling the country down.

“Despite the lack of support and leadership from the UK Government, in Wales we are doing all we can, with the powers we have, to deliver for the most vulnerable.”

The UK Government said that it is putting in £22 billion in the next financial year in support to ease cost of living pressures as well as plans to drive £6 billion into making homes more energy efficient over the next ten years, which is “vital to keeping household energy costs down.”

“The government is also announcing further help for low-income households to meet energy costs with the publication of consultation responses on the extension of the Warm Homes Discount and Energy Company Obligation schemes,” the Government said.

“The Warm Homes Discount scheme is being extended until 2025/26 and expanded.”