Latest news with #DfC
Belfast Telegraph
29-04-2025
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
One in six working-age adults in NI now claim a disability benefit, with rates rising among younger people
The proportion of working-age adults in Northern Ireland claiming disability benefits has risen to 16%, according to new figures obtained from the Department for Communities (DfC). The data, provided in response to a parliamentary question from the Alliance Party's Sian Mullholland, shows that one in six people aged between 16 and 65 are now in receipt of support such as Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and other disability-related benefits.
BBC News
28-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Child Poverty: 'Long term plan needed', Gordon Lyons says
The minister for communities believes an anti-poverty strategy due to be published in April from his department is a "realistic" but long-term plan to tackle poverty. Gordon Lyons made the comments after figures from the Department for Communities (DfC) suggested about 22% of children in Northern Ireland are growing up in poverty. The figures also indicate that about 23% of children are in relative poverty and about 20% are in absolute poverty. The Children's Commissioner for Northern Ireland, Chris Quinn, said these figures show a "failure" in the UK government and NI executive safeguarding children and their rights to "social and economical help" and "action is needed now". What did figures show? The DfC figures indicate that about 104,000 children (23%) are in relative poverty, a decrease of the 24% estimate in 2022/23. But about 90,000 children (20%) are in absolute poverty, which is an increase of the 19% estimate in 2022/23. The figures use two main measures of living standards: relative poverty and absolute poverty. Minister for Communities Gordon Lyons said he believes the strategy due to be published is "something that's realistic" which "will require a long term plan". "This will deal with the root causes of poverty ... and it will be a long term strategy ... this isn't about tinkering around the edges, poverty comes from some fundamental issues that people face ... there aren't any short term fixes," he told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster said people in NI have been waiting for this strategy "since 1998" and he has "made it a priority". "I want a strategy that works and actually delivers for the people of Northern Ireland and actually has the by in of executive colleagues already. I'm not putting down something in front of them that is going to be different or fresh from what they've actually seen. Everybody has bought into this," he added. Mr Quinn said: "This is absolutely scandalous. We are waiting the publication of an anti poverty strategy ... we need action.""We need more (money), we need Westminster to make up for a lot of lost time here and also we need to use the money that we have better," he added. Ursula O'Hare from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) said child poverty is "not a new problem" but it isn't being dealt with. "There was an opportunity, I think a missed opportunity in the Programme For Government (PFG) to have set poverty eradication as a key executive priority. That opportunity was missed but the anti-poverty strategy ... gives a fresh chance for the executive to really focus on what we can do early."She added that the executive need to work together and be "ambitious for the better". "Change is possible ... it's about departments working together. Setting a very clear beacon that as a society, as an executive." What is the anti-poverty strategy? The anti-poverty strategy is a requirement inserted into the Northern Ireland Act, following the St Andrews Agreement in 2006. There have been multiple court orders and legal challenges made as no strategy has been implemented in Northern Ireland. Judgement was reserved in a recent legal challenge brought against Stormont for "failing to adopt" an anti-poverty strategy for Northern Ireland. How is poverty measured? There are two main measurements of low income used by the government. Income is counted as the money a household has to spend after housing costs are taken into poverty measures how many people this year cannot afford a set standard of living. The Department for Work and Pensions currently defines it based on the living standard an average income could buy in the year ending in March 2011. If your income is 40% below this, after adjusting for rising prices since then, you are classed as living in absolute poverty is the number of people whose income is 40% below the average income today. An individual is considered to be in relative poverty if they are living in a household with an income below 60% of the typical UK is a measure of whether those in the lowest income households are keeping pace with the growth of incomes in the population as a whole.
BBC News
05-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Derry and Strabane council seek Football Fund deadline extension
Derry City and Strabane District Council have written to Communities Minister Gordon Lyons seeking an extension to the Northern Ireland Football Fund council owns the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium, which is the home ground of League of Ireland side Derry City Féin councillor Christopher Jackson has expressed concerns over what he believes is "unequal treatment" within the criteria of the funding application, which he said negatively impacts council-owned order to be granted a share of the £36.2m funding, clubs must demonstrate that they will contribute at least 5% of the total project costs, but for council-owned grounds, this rises to 40%. The Northern Ireland Football Fund dates back to 2011, when it was called the Sub-Regional Stadia aim of the fund is to improve sporting facilities for players and fans. The fund is open to 41 clubs in total in the men's and women's are all members of the Northern Ireland Football League (NIFL) or League of Ireland who play their home matches at a venue located in Northern clubs can apply for one of three categories of grants:Projects with a total cost of up to £1.5mUp to £6mMore than £6m 'Completely unrealistic position' The council has now written to Minister Gordon Lyons asking that the deadline for applications for funding be extended beyond March to BBC News NI, councillor Jackson said the council has been left in "a completely unrealistic position", which could negatively impact the completion of stadium projects, like the Mark Farren Stand in the Lone Moor Road on a new stand at the Brandywell, which is named after former player Mark Farren, began in 2018 as part of a £7m the second phase of that project has still not been built despite planning permission already being Jackson said asking council to come up with that substantial sum of money within a matter of weeks, in order to meet the 40% criteria, may not be achievable, due to budget limitations."The business case for Stage Two of the Mark Farren Stand, for example, has been in place for a very long time and we have been working under the premise of that 5% figure, but when we heard it was 40% for council-owned grounds - that was a real shock," he said."This council, like many other councils, is working within a very limited budget and that budget that was already set when we struck the district rate earlier this year, so we have now been left really on the back foot with this." Letter 'under consideration' In a statement, the Department for Communities (DfC) confirmed they have received the letter and it is "under consideration".A DfC spokesperson said they currently have no plans to extend the deadline for applications beyond 14 March also said that matchfunding is "a standard requirement for publicly funded capital projects"."The funding contributions have been set following detailed financial scoping work and engagement with a range of stakeholders, including councils," they said."Similar funding schemes, such as Sport NI's Multi Facility Fund and the IFA's Grassroots Facilities Fund, require councils to provide at least 40% match funding."
Yahoo
17-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
More benefits claimants to move to Universal Credit
People who receive certain benefits and tax credits from income support are starting to be moved to Universal Credit (UC). UC is a single benefit payment for working-age people, which is replacing a range of different benefits in an attempt to make the system simpler. The Department for Communities (DfC) has issued letters asking people receiving income support to make a UC claim. They will have three months from the date of the letter to make the claim or lose out. Universal Credit has been in place in Northern Ireland for new claimants since September 2017. In October 2023 it was rolled out further, replacing six types of benefits. The next phase will apply to people who receive other so-called legacy benefits. The scheduled dates for the switch from the remaining legacy benefits are: Income Support - February Housing Benefit (rental) - March Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance - April Income-related Employment and Support Allowance - May Communities Minister Gordon Lyons encouraged those who received a letter to take action and said his department was "available to provide help through a dedicated telephony team and face-to-face support at local Jobs and Benefits offices". People do not need to take any action unless they have received a migration notice letter from the department. About 71,000 households set for Universal Credit move
BBC News
17-02-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Universal Credit: More benefits claimants to be moved over
People who receive certain benefits and tax credits from income support are starting to be moved to Universal Credit (UC). UC is a single benefit payment for working-age people, which is replacing a range of different benefits in an attempt to make the system Department for Communities (DfC) has issued letters asking people receiving income support to make a UC will have three months from the date of the letter to make the claim or lose out. Universal Credit has been in place in Northern Ireland for new claimants since September October 2023 it was rolled out further, replacing six types of next phase will apply to people who receive other so-called legacy scheduled dates for the switch from the remaining legacy benefits are:Income Support - FebruaryHousing Benefit (rental) - MarchIncome-based Jobseeker's Allowance - AprilIncome-related Employment and Support Allowance - MayCommunities Minister Gordon Lyons encouraged those who received a letter to take action and said his department was "available to provide help through a dedicated telephony team and face-to-face support at local Jobs and Benefits offices".People do not need to take any action unless they have received a migration notice letter from the department.
