AQW 9459/16-21

Mr Andy Allen MBE
Ulster Unionist Party
East Belfast

Tabled Date: 12/01/2017
Answered On Date: 25/01/2017
Priority Written: Yes

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities why mitigation payments cannot be made under the Budget Act (Northern Ireland) 2016 and section 59 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, as outlined by the Minister of Finance; and to detail the work his Department has undertaken in relation to this matter.

Answer:

The Housing Benefit (Welfare Supplementary Payment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017 (the “Regulations”) which are approved by the Assembly on 16 January 2017 detailed how the Social Sector Size Criteria (‘bedroom tax’) would be mitigated in Northern Ireland.

These regulations were necessary as the Budget Act 2016 and section 59 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998 provide either only general powers which allows Departments to spend resources or provides a DOF official with powers to draw down monies from the consolidated fund and to specify the purposes and services for which the resources can be used. These legislative provisions do not provide the powers necessary for my Department to determine entitlement, rates or frequency of payment of mitigation payments to households.

The best way to ensure the Social Sector Size Criteria does not result in Housing Benefit claimants in Northern Ireland suffering any financial disadvantage was for the Assembly to act in the way that it has and to put the appropriate legislation in place.