June 2018

Earlier this week, the last All Party Group on Housing before the summer break focused on the housing specific impacts of Welfare Reform in Northern Ireland and included a briefing from Housing Rights.

Housing Rights’ policy team highlighted three key areas of concern and included a focus on the situation post 2020 when the current scheme of mitigation payments are due to expire.

Housing Rights is delighted to have secured funding from the Buildings Change Trust to develop a web platform, called SmartRenter, which will inform and assist private renters in Northern Ireland.

The Falls and Shankill become the first areas in Belfast to have Universal Credit introduced on the 13 June 2018.

Universal Credit will replace Housing Benefit, Working Tax Credits, Child Tax Credit, Income Support, Income based Job Seekers Allowance and income related Employment and Support Allowance.  Anyone of working age who gets these benefits will be affected.