AQW 18089/17-22

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 28/04/2021
Answered On Date: 17/05/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to outline a timetable for the managed migration of benefits; and whether her Department has the number of staff needed to manage reassessments of legacy benefit claimants.

Answer:

Planning for Move to UC (formerly called Managed Migration) here, was temporarily paused in March 2020 to allow my Department to focus all available resources on the response to the increased demand for services as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A start date for commencement of the Move to UC phase has yet to be confirmed. My Department will keep stakeholders advised when timings are more certain.

Due to the increased demand for benefits as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, my officials continue to monitor closely the resourcing requirements for service delivery and will take into account the number of staff required for the Move to UC phase at the appropriate time.