AQW 2278/22-27

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 28/06/2022
Answered On Date: 21/07/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities whether the additional payments announced by the Chancellor to help people on benefits with the cost of living, will be disregarded and not treated as income when calculating those benefits.

Answer:

The additional payments announced will not have any impact on existing means-tested social security benefit awards (including Universal Credit) or tax credits either as “income” or “capital”. These payments will be tax-free and will not count towards the benefit cap.