Benefit claim town 'needs funds'

Merthyr Council's Jeff Edwards said low population meant funding was small, but its money should be based on need.

The assembly government said it made deprivation provision in extra grants.

Merthyr is one of five south Wales areas in a top 10 of councils with the highest percentage of people on benefits for more than five years.

The other south Wales regions are Blaenau Gwent, Neath Port Talbot, Rhondda Cynon Taf and Caerphilly.

Mr Edwards, who is Merthyr Council's board member for economic development and regeneration, said the figures reflected the fact that big industries like iron and coal had died off in the region.

"If we did not get Objective One funding from Europe, our problem would be even more serious"
Jeff Edwards, Merthyr Tydfil council

He denied that the authority was resigned to long-term benefit claimants, and said the authority had worked hard to attract new service industries to the region like T-Mobile, as well as Cyfarthfa Retail Park and the Welsh Assembly Government building.

But these mostly attracted younger employees rather than the core group of long-term benefit claimants, he said.

"I think this figure consists largely of a core group of people, who are older and who used to work in the mining industry but because of sickness or a lack of transport, or even a loss in confidence, are unable to take on new work," said Mr Edwards.

"We have got a number of schemes and European initiatives to look at re-skilling people who have been on benefits for a long time.

LONG-TERM BENEFIT CLAIMANTS

• Merthyr Tydfil 16.8%
• Easington, Co Durham 16%
• Blaenau Gwent 15.2%
• Knowsley, Merseyside 14.5%
• Neath Port Talbot 14.3%
• Rhondda Cynon Taf 13.5%
• Liverpool 13.3%
• Glasgow City 13.2%
• Caerphilly 13.1%
• Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria 11.7%