Concerns
over Welfare Reform dominated Question
Time to the Minister for Social Development, Nelson McCausland. On Monday,
the Finance Minister, Simon Hamilton, told
the Assembly that the delay in implementing Welfare Reform is costing the
treasury £5-6m a month and that, if the Welfare
Reform Bill is not passed by January 2014, the accumulated costs will be
removed from the budget. John McCallister pressed the Minister on how
imperative it is that things move forward quickly. Mr McCausland agreed, saying
that it is a matter for the entire Executive. In answer to an earlier question
from Jimmy Spratt, the Minister also revealed that a tailored Welfare Reform
package for Northern Ireland was agreed in June and “it is important that we
get that information out as quickly as possible to allay fears, provide
assurance for people and avoid confusion”. The Bill is currently being held up
by controversial aspects such as the proposed ‘bedroom
tax’.
In relation
to Welfare Reform, the Minister also provided an update on the consultation on flexible
payment arrangements for universal
credit. Mr McCausland said that consultations with public forums, the
Executive subcommittee on welfare reform and the Social Development committee
have seen the development of a package that “will enable us to implement
welfare reform in a way that will meet the needs of the people of Northern
Ireland and produce the best possible outcome”. The Minister reiterated his
frustration at the lack of progress so far while also revealing his belief that
the introduction of universal credit will encourage people back into employment
by removing the disincentives that sometimes exist in getting people back into
work.
As well as
Welfare Reform the Minister also answered questions on the Warm Homes Scheme, social housing, the co-ownership scheme and energy efficiency.
