AQW 19101/17-22

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 19/05/2021
Answered On Date: 01/06/2021
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities whether the Department for the Economy’s High Street Voucher Scheme will have any repercussive impact on the receipt of benefits.

Answer:

If a disregard is not included in the legislation for the High Street Voucher Scheme, the £100 High Street voucher will be treated as capital in the calculation of the recipient’s social security benefits.

However, my officials are working with the Department for the Economy colleagues to finalise the position on this issue and it is anticipated that provision will be made in the regulations to allow for benefit disregard.