Report shows majority will use advice organisations to find out about impact of Welfare Reform

A recent report by the NI Statistics and Research agency and the Department for Communities presents awareness and attitudes to welfare reform in Northern Ireland. It highlights a lack of understanding about welfare reform among those who will be affected by it. 51% of respondents said they will use an advice agency to find out how welfare reform will impact them. 

Awareness of Welfare Reform in Northern Ireland

When asked about their general awareness of upcoming changes to the welfare system in Northern Ireland, four-fifths of respondents (80%) were aware of the changes. Of these,

• 42% had heard of but didn’t know any details about the changes,
• 34% knew a little,
• 5% knew a great deal,
• 20% of respondents hadn’t heard of the changes at all.

Changes to housing benefit in the private rented and social rented sectors

In relation to housing, three-fifths of respondents (60%) had heard of the changes to housing benefit in the private rented and social rented sectors.

Of those, 38% didn’t know any details about the changes, 20% knew a little and 3% knew a great deal. Nearly two-fifths of respondents (39%) hadn’t heard of the changes at all.

Over a quarter (28%) knew that welfare reform will introduce a limit to the amount of benefit any household can claim and a fifth of respondents (21%) were aware that welfare reform will introduce size criteria for social housing tenants.

Get prepared – Welfare Reform and Housing

It is vital that advisers able to answer any queries they get. Housing Rights has just produced a new Professional Resource on Welfare Reform and Housing. This timely publication should prove to be essential reading for anyone giving advice to clients on the impact of the welfare reform measures.

This Professional Resource clarifies what measures have already been applied and those which are still to come, including proposed dates for introduction. It covers a range of topics including:

• The background to the welfare reform changes in Northern Ireland, including the mitigation package;
• Universal Credit: what it is, who can claim it, how it’s calculated and sanctions;
• Issues affecting social rented accommodation: the bedroom tax, applying local housing allowance rates to the social sector, changes to service charges;
• Other reforms including the benefit cap, abolition of the social fund, changes to Support for Mortgage Interest.

You can buy your copy online. Members of Housing Rights will pay £5.20 (voluntary / community) or £9.95 (private/ statutory) for a Professional Resource. Non members will pay either £6.50 or £11.95 depending on type of organisation.

Make sure you are logged in to our website to get the discounts. You can also order your copy by email.