AQW 40385/22-27

Ms Sian Mulholland
Alliance Party
North Antrim

Tabled Date: 11/02/2026
Answered On Date: 24/02/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities for his assessment of the impact of recognising Covid-19 as an industrial disease, for the purposes of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.

Answer:

The Industrial Injuries Advisory Council (IIAC), an independent scientific body, advises my Department and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on changes to the list of prescribed diseases for which Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit can be paid. IIAC has published 2 Command Papers on COVID-19 and its occupational impacts.

The DWP is currently carrying out a detailed assessment of the recommendations in these papers, and my officials will continue to liaise with the DWP on this work including any proposals for future legislative changes.