AQW 54415/11-16


Mrs Jo-Anne Dobson
Ulster Unionist Party
Upper Bann


Tabled Date: 17/02/2016
Answered On Date: 23/02/2016
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister for Social Development why Disability Living Allowance is considered as household income when applying to the new Affordable Warmth Scheme given that the benefit is to assist those with disabilities to help with additional costs because of their disability; and for his assessment of whether its inclusion towards the total household income unfairly discriminates against people with disabilities when applying for this scheme.


Answer:
When calculating a householder’s total income for the Affordable Warmth Scheme all regular household income is used to determine eligibility. This means that benefits such as Disability Living Allowance are included and treated as income.
The income threshold for the Affordable Warmth Scheme is annual income must be less than £20,000 and this was set following a public consultation exercise which took place between 17th February and 9th May 2014. The income threshold for the Affordable Warmth Scheme was initially proposed as £16,190 (free school meals limit), however, following the public consultation it was raised to £20,000.
The Affordable Warmth pilot which was carried out in 2012 evidenced that low income households not on benefit are affected by fuel poverty. Half of the households surveyed had an annual income of less than £12,000. The Affordable Warmth Scheme actively identifies targets and assists those households in the most severe or extreme fuel poverty and includes households within the income qualification threshold.
According to the Family Resources Survey 2013/14, 39% of Northern Ireland households have an income of less than £400 per week. Households with people who are disabled or chronically ill and on a low income are included in the Affordable Warmth Scheme. My Department screened this policy before it was introduced and the result of that screening was that there will be a minor positive impact for people with disabilities on low income as they will be included within the scheme.
My Department will be carrying out a review of the Affordable Warmth Scheme after one full year of operation, that review is currently being developed. Part of the review will be to examine the qualifying conditions for eligibility to the scheme and look at what is treated as income.