AQW 10002/22-27

Ms Claire Sugden
Independent
East Londonderry

Tabled Date: 12/04/2024
Answered On Date: 29/04/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities (i) for his assessment of the changes to the level of security of the personal details of people in occupations such as those in the PSNI or Prison Service, that will accompany the change from tax credits to Universal Credit; (ii) whether an impact assessment on this issue has been carried out; and (iii) whether he has raised this issue with the Department of Work and Pensions.

Answer:

The Universal Credit system is owned and managed by the Department for Work and Pensions and used by my Department for the administration of Universal Credit in Northern Ireland. Both the Department for Work and Pensions and the Department for Communities are subject to professional and legal expectations surrounding the protection of personal data and take these responsibilities very seriously. Beyond the legal requirement for protecting personal data, it is also recognised that claimants will carry higher sensitivities for a variety of reasons, both personal and professional, and these will have been considered as part of the Universal Credit design.