AQW 9728/22-27

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 09/04/2024
Answered On Date: 22/04/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities how he will ensure Make the Call is not duplicating the work of the Independent Advice sector.

Answer:

My Department’s Make the Call Service aims to ensure that individuals and their families are receiving the benefits, supports and services they are entitled to claim.

This Service is unique in that it has direct access to benefit systems enabling efficient and effective potential entitlements to social security benefits to be identified. Make the Call also has a team of Community Outreach officers, who conduct home visits with people who are vulnerable through age, disability, illness, or adverse circumstances to provide face to face assistance and support and who can also assist with benefit claim completion.

Make the Call and the Independent Advice sector both have important complementary roles in helping to ensure individuals and their families are receiving the benefits, supports and services they are entitled to claim.

My officials are currently developing a fresh policy framework for independent advice and debt services which will review the existing collaborative partnerships between the advice sector and government services including Make the Call to ensure citizens receive the necessary support and advice from the organisation best placed to provide it.