Engagement on Welfare Supplementary Payment Schemes

Overview

Update: Please note the survey closing date has been extended from 6th September to 13th September to provide an opportunity for those who may have missed the original closing date due to the summer holiday period to complete the survey.

The Department for Communities currently administers a number of welfare schemes which are designed to alleviate the financial impact arising from specific changes to the social security system introduced in the UK Government’s package of welfare reforms. These mitigation schemes, known as Welfare Supplementary Payments, are specific to Northern Ireland and were introduced in 2016 and initially funded and provided for in legislation for a period of 4 years (up to 31 March 2020).

Further legislation and funding have extended the period for which all Welfare Supplementary Payments could be paid up to 31 March 2025, excluding the Social Sector Size Criteria (commonly referred to as the “bedroom tax”). Legislation has since then removed the end date for Welfare Supplementary Payments for people affected by the Social Sector Size Criteria (“bedroom tax”) for an indefinite period. 

The following Welfare Supplementary Payment schemes are currently in operation to provide help to people in Northern Ireland with respect to a series of welfare reforms:

• Benefit Cap
• Loss of Carer Payments
• Loss of Disability-Related Payments
• Social Sector Size Criteria (“the bedroom tax”)
• Time Limiting of Contributory Employment and Support Allowance
• Transition to Personal Independence Payment from Disability Living Allowance (now only receiving new cases from children who claim Personal Independence Payment after their 16^th birthday)

Further information on Welfare Supplementary Payments, as well as the welfare changes that they were designed to mitigate, can be found on the NIDirect website.

Why your views matter

The results of this survey will help inform decisions on any future welfare mitigations package.

The Department is interested to learn how you think the current Welfare Supplementary Payment Schemes are working to help inform any decisions made by the Northern Ireland Executive on a future welfare mitigation package.

The Department will produce a report setting out their assessment of the operation of each of the ongoing Welfare Supplementary Payment schemes by 31 March 2025. 

What happens next

The Department for Communities will publish a report into the operation of the existing Welfare Supplementary Payment Schemes by 31 March 2025.