Written Ministerial Statement

The content of this written ministerial statement is as received at the time from the Minister. It has not been subject to the official reporting (Hansard) process.

Department for Communities - Extention of the Welfare Supplementary Payment Schemes

Download this statement as a PDF (60.36 kb)

Published on Thursday 5 December 2024.

Mr Lyons (The Minister for Communities): I wish to update the Assembly regarding the important work being taken forward to extend the Welfare Supplementary Payment mitigation schemes in Northern Ireland.

As members will know, my Department currently administers a number of Executive approved welfare mitigation schemes, including mitigation of the Benefit Cap and Social Sector Size Criteria, or “bedroom tax” as it is more commonly known.

There is a statutory obligation on my Department to produce a report, by 31 March 2025, assessing the operation of the existing mitigation schemes that are currently in place.  It is my intention to have the report laid before the Assembly by 31 December 2024.  However, in view of the importance of this issue I would like to update the Assembly on the proposed way forward.

Today, I am pleased to announce that I have secured agreement to extend those mitigation schemes that were due to end on 31 March 2025, for a further three years to 31 March 2028 and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my Executive colleagues for supporting my proposals.

This extension for a further three years will provide reassurance for those people who are in receipt of this support and have been anxious about the outcome of the report and any potential impact on their financial stability. 

Over 38,000 people received a Welfare Supplementary Payment in the 2023/24 financial year, with £23 million paid to mitigate Social Sector Size Criteria deductions and over £1.7 million paid to mitigate the Benefit Cap.

I recognise the importance of tackling poverty through the social security system and I was determined to secure this extension in order to remove real concerns regarding any impending cliff edge resulting from the closure of these schemes.  Extending these mitigation schemes will have a positive impact for many people right across Northern Ireland and will help to protect the most vulnerable in our society.

I can also confirm my intention to ensure that mitigation payments will continue as they are for both the Benefit Cap and the Social Sector Size Criteria, without the re-introduction of scenarios when exclusions to mitigation may result.

I will be bringing forward the necessary legislation for the extension of the welfare mitigation schemes in January 2025. This will provide the Assembly with the opportunity to scrutinise and, I trust, agree to the extension ahead of 31 March 2025.