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Social security system in Northern Ireland being eroded as a result of budget allocation to the Department for Communities: Advice NI

Advice NI notes with deep concern that the Department of Communities is faced with unprecedented funding challenges and cuts in 2023-24.

The £111.2m budget shortfall is integral to maintaining the safe delivery of existing social security services, including our unique ‘Evason’ welfare mitigations scheme; safely delivering new initiatives such as ‘Move to UC’; and bolstering the Discretionary Support Scheme for people in extreme need, which is especially important in the midst of a Cost of Living Crisis which is hitting the poorest hardest.

Bob Stronge, Advice NI Chief Executive said:

“Benefit claimants need to be able to rely on the accuracy and timeliness of their payments. It is absolutely unacceptable that budget cuts may put at risk this essential support to people reliant on social security, including those in low paid work.”

“It must be noted that the £111.2m funding ‘gap’ does not include the resources required for any new priorities such as for new Welfare Mitigations. Advice NI can only conclude that the Department’s allocation will put at risk services to those most vulnerable people reliant upon social security. It is unacceptable that these people should experience greater delays in the administration of their benefits (especially during a cost of living crisis); be exposed to greater risk as ‘Move to UC’ is rolled out and have less recourse to crisis support via the Discretionary Support Scheme as is in place in GB. For example, we understand that DWP has secured the necessary additional resources to deliver on the challenging ‘Move to UC’ agenda and the Chancellor has bolstered the GB Household Support Fund, the GB equivalent of the Discretionary Support scheme, to the tune of an additional £1bn.”

“We need to protect and strengthen our social security system, not sleepwalk into a situation where people cannot rely on help when they need it most.”

The Advice NI response to the Equality Impact Assessment flags further concerns including:

  • No funding allocated towards new Welfare Mitigations, a Supporting People provider uplift, and replacement European Social Fund support;
  • Failure to secure the funding necessary to appropriately resource benefit delivery (which will lead to delays in benefit payments and place working age claimants in financial hardship);
  • The Department will aim to progress Move to UC within its existing staff complement, putting at risk delivery of the programme (and by extension people affected by the programme);
  • Close Departmental Offices 1 day a week (which could lead towards a risk of further frontline JBO closures and by extension longer travel distances for claimants needing to use JBO’s);
  • DS Grants awards to be scaled back (which will not only put at risk the Department’s ability to help address the basic needs of people who present with hardship and in crisis, but potentially impact on the ability of people affected by ‘Move to UC’ to claim a UC Contingency Fund grant;
  • Withdrawal of funding support by the Department to some third party organisations may lead to viability issues or closure of the bodies (more information needed on the likelihood of this option taking place and which organisations may be affected);
  • The Rates Support Grant was reduced by £3m in 2022- 23, and a further reduction of £4m has been proposed for 2023-24 (this reduction requires careful scrutiny as to the potential impact at a local council level);
  • A reduction in funding to the Supporting People Programme (again further information is required to assess the impact in terms of the scale of the reduction and the services that may be affected);
  • A reduction in the Affordable Warmth Scheme budget (more information required in terms of the scale of the reduction and perhaps this represents an opportunity to review the effectiveness of the scheme);
  • Proposed cuts to funding social housing (on 31 March 2022 there were 44,426 applicants on the social housing waiting list. Of these applicants, 31,407 were in ‘housing stress’. 10,135 households were accepted as statutorily homeless);
  • A reduction in funding towards Disabled Facilities Grants (this feels particularly punitive given the minimal savings compared to the detrimental impact on disabled people trying to live in their own homes);

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