AQW 38014/11-15

Mr Stewart Dickson
Alliance Party
East Antrim

Tabled Date: 03/11/2014
Answered On Date: 18/11/2014
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Social Development to detail (i) the number of people that have benefited from the extra statutory scheme set up in 2013 for contributions based Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and extended in 2014 to include income based ESA, which allows claimants to continue to receive ESA when they move between Northern Ireland and Great Britain; and (ii) how much income has been generated for claimants as a result of the scheme.

Answer:

(i)The number of Employment and Support Allowance claimants moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland and paid under the extra statutory scheme since its introduction in October 2012 to 30 September 2014 is 239*.

(ii)The total amount of Employment and Support Allowance paid under the extra statutory scheme for the period October 2012 to September 2014 is approximately £672,000*.

*These are not statistics provided by the Department’s Analytical Services Unit. They have been taken from management information collected by the Employment and Support Allowance Centre for the periods stated.