AQW 17875/22-27

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 08/11/2024
Answered On Date: 11/12/2024
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities to detail the number of meetings, including dates, he or his Department has had with officials in the Department of Health to encourage progression of the Help with Travel Costs scheme for people in receipt of Universal Credit.

Answer:

The Help with Health Costs Scheme is the responsibility of the Department of Health (DoH).

In addition to ongoing email communications, my officials have met DoH officials on five occasions to discuss matters relating to progressing the Help with Health Costs scheme regulations to include people in receipt of Universal Credit.

Meetings were held on 19 October 2022, 30 November 2023, 20 March 2024, 14 May 2024 and 12 June 2024.