AQW 9340/16-21
Ms Nichola Mallon
Social Democratic and Labour Party
North Belfast
Tabled Date: 11/01/2017
Answered On Date: 25/01/2017
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities in relation to the Social Sector Size Criteria known as the Bedroom Tax (i) in light of the previous equality screening exercise unduly restricting itself to the period of mitigation his Department will now equality screen the policy to assess the potential equality impacts of any actual implementation of Bedroom Tax; and (ii) in light of a formal review of the original equality Screening Decision being triggered by consultees whether all further screening decisions will not repeat the omission of due consideration of four of the nine Section 75 categories, religious belief, political opinion, racial group and sexual orientation.
Answer:
The Department for Social Development conducted an Equality Impact Assessment examining the implications of the introduction of Welfare Reform in Northern Ireland, including the introduction of Social Sector Size Criteria. The findings were published in April 2012 https://www.communities-ni.gov.uk/publications/welfare-changes-equality-impact-assessments The Department for Work and Pensions carried out an Equality Impact Assessment on the introduction of the Social Sector Size Criteria in Great Britain, these findings were published in June 2012 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-sector-housing-under-occupation-equality-impact-assessment In relation to the screenings carried out on the Social Sector Size Criteria and Mitigation, the Department for Communities completed and published an equality screening exercise in July 2016, revised the original screening and published it in December 2016 and again in January 2017. Legislation to give effect to the mitigation scheme was passed by the NI Assembly on 16 January 2017. Social Sector Size Criteria and Mitigation July 2016 Social Sector Size Criteria and Mitigation December 2016 Social Sector Size Criteria Mitigation January 2017 The data employed to complete the equality screening was drawn from the housing benefit system and property records held by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive (NIHE) and the Housing Associations. These are the main tools available to NIHE for analysing Housing Benefit. Provision of a further breakdown by Section 75 category is not possible at present. Data relating to Religious Belief, Political Opinion, Racial Group and Sexual Orientation is not currently collected as it has no bearing on eligibility for Housing Benefit and as such this information is not stored within administrative systems. However, for the iteration of the screening templates, available information from other sources has been used. In addition, officials in the Department for Communities have developed a Welfare Reform Evaluation Strategy which will be instrumental in the continuing scrutiny and assessment of the impact of Welfare Reform and associated mitigation measures, including the Social Sector Size Criteria. All research commissioned as part of the evaluation of Welfare Reform will see Equality Information collected as a matter of course, and the Department intends to collect Section 75 data for those availing of the mitigation schemes. The strategy has been shared with the Committee for the Department for Communities. The NI Executive has committed to reviewing the mitigation schemes in 2018/19 and a Section 75 rescreening exercise may be carried out at that time.
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