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Government funds mental health support for Welsh steelworkers

Chairing the latest meeting of the Tata Steel Port Talbot Transition Board Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens announced £3.27m to fund mental health support services in Neath Port Talbot for those affected by Tata Steel’s transition to greener steelmaking.

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Government funds mental health support for Welsh steelworkers
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A fund of more than £3m will be created by the Government in partnership with Neath Port Talbot Council to support the mental health and wellbeing of Tata Steel workers and their families.

Chairing the latest meeting of the Tata Steel Port Talbot Transition Board on 27th March, 2025, Welsh Secretary Jo Stevens announced £3.27m to fund mental health support services in Neath Port Talbot for those affected by Tata Steel’s transition to greener steelmaking.

The funding is intended to support a wide range of services aimed at addressing the impact of the Tata Steel transition.

This includes hiring more counsellors to work directly with affected steelworkers and offering additional resources and grants to strengthen existing mental health services.

It will also support the expansion of community and peer support initiatives, such as Men’s Sheds, She Sheds, and other local groups.

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Mental health support will be extended to schools where children are affected by the changes, and specialist advice will be made available to help steelworkers and their families navigate the welfare system or manage debt.

Additionally, the funding will be used to train council and trade union support workers in suicide awareness and prevention.

The latest funding comes from the Government’s £80m Tata Steel Port Talbot Transition Board fund which, since last July, has announced more than £50m to help individual steelworkers and businesses in Tata Steel’s supply chain to protect jobs and grow the local economy.

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Stevens said: “The past 18 months have been incredibly difficult for the steelworkers of Port Talbot, their families and for the wider community but we said we would back them in whatever ways were needed.

“We are helping people learn new skills but we also need to help protect people’s mental health, because well-being is crucial to getting back into work and staying in work. 

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“By boosting direct support services, we are investing in the people of the area and supporting growth in the local economy.”

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans MS, said: “Working alongside our Transition Board partners, we will continue to make sure that the right assistance and support is in place for those impacted by the Tata changes as well as providing opportunities for growth, investment and employment wherever they arise.”

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Cllr Steve Hunt, Neath Port Talbot council leader, said: “Neath Port Talbot Council welcomes the announcement of this funding and the commitment to support the wellbeing of our local communities through this difficult time.

“We know the impact of change at the steelworks is being felt deeply across the area, and particularly within Port Talbot itself, where every household will know many others directly or indirectly affected.

“This is a vital addition to the support the council is delivering alongside our Transition Board partners, as we adapt to the future of steelmaking in the town and prepare for the new opportunities offered by future investment and developments such as the Celtic Freeport.”

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Martyn Wagstaff, mental health adviser, added: “It’s really important that anyone who is struggling with their mental health asks for help. 

“There is support available and talking to someone is the best way to get better.

“This funding from the Transition Board means that people in Neath Port Talbot will be able to access more help when needed.”

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