AQW 38871/22-27

Ms Sian Mulholland
Alliance Party
North Antrim

Tabled Date: 22/01/2026
Answered On Date: 02/02/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities whether he will review how savings are treated within Discretionary Support eligibility, including in cases where savings are set aside for funeral costs, given there is no disregard provided for in the current regulations, and the example highlighted in the Office of the Discretionary Support Commissioner Annual Report 2024-2025 where a claim was refused despite no previous Discretionary Support awards.

Answer:

The Discretionary Support Scheme is designed to provide financial assistance in an extreme, exceptional or crisis situation. Disregards are applied to protect basic essentials, such as housing costs.

Where a person has accessible resources, these are expected to be used to address the immediate crisis need, in full or in part, before a Discretionary Support award can be considered.

Amendments to the Discretionary Support Scheme are under consideration. Any changes will need to be assessed within the context of ongoing financial constraint, with a focus to ensuring that the Scheme remains financially sustainable over the coming years.