AQW 49278/22-27

Ms Kellie Armstrong
Alliance Party
Strangford

Tabled Date: 22/06/2026
Answered On Date: 30/06/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister for Communities, given the finding in the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's report, Disability and Poverty in Northern Ireland 2026, that there is an £800+ monthly gap between disability costs and support, to detail any representations he has made to the UK Government to increase the adequacy of Personal Independence Payment.

Answer:

I have not made any representations to the UK Government regarding the findings of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's recently published report, Disability and Poverty in Northern Ireland.

The UK Government launched the Timms Review of Personal Independence Payment in October 2025. The review is expected to conclude in Autumn 2026 and no changes are anticipated before that review is completed.