Welfare Reform

The Northern Ireland Executive has agreed to allocate a total of £585million from Executive funds over four years to mitigate the impacts of welfare reform.  Eileen Evason, Emeritus Professor in social administration at the University of Ulster, will chair a working group which will develop proposals on how best to use these additional resources. 

Yesterday's Queen's speech detailed the new Conservative majority government's proposed legislative programme for parliament.  The speech referred to a number of significant changes which will impact on housing and welfare law, policy and practice.

Supreme Court judges have criticised the benefit cap.  The Supreme Court found that the policy failed to comply with Article 3 (1) of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.  This article provides that “in all actions concerning children … the best interests of the child shall be a primary consideration”. 

The Welfare Reform Bill has been the subject of much discussion at the Assembly of late. During the Bill's consideration and further consideration stages a number of amendments were tabled. The majority of these amendments did not pass as they did not have cross community support.   The amended bill includes a duty on the Department for Social Devlopment to "ensure availability of advice and assistance" although an amendment to ensure that this advice was independent was negatived.