大象传媒

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"鈥�the department from day one when I took on the chair of the social development committee, we got our first report, which told us from the department figures that if the welfare reform bill, which is the one that is sitting in discussion at the moment, that the welfare reform bill if implemented would take 拢450 million off the benefit bill."

鈥淲ell the British government's own figures tell us that if the welfare reform bill went through as they tabled it in Westminster...what they tell us, their figures not mine, is that this will cost the local economy here 拢450 million per year, others argue that is much a higher figure.听

That means a lot of people, many people who are currently unemployed, many who are also low income, will loss quite a considerable amount of money out of their pockets every week from next year if we impose this bill.鈥�

听DSD statement to the Nolan Show last week.

"The 拢450 million estimated figure was mentioned at a meeting of the Social Development Committee when senior departmental officials gave the new committee a first day briefing following the Assembly elections in June 2011.听
"The Hansard record of the briefing clearly records that the officials who provided the 拢450 million figure clearly referenced that it covered both the changes being introduced by the Welfare Reform Bill (NI) 2012 and other changes to the tax and benefit system which the coalition government introduced in two budgets in 2010. 听Many of these changes were also referred to in the NICVA report.听"In February 2012 and June 2012 detailed finance papers were presented by Ministers McCausland and Wilson to representatives of all political parties on the Executive Sub Committee on Welfare Reform. 听These papers showed the HM Treasury estimates for benefit savings from the Welfare Reform Bill at 拢250 million between 2012-15.听
"The Department for Social Development estimated savings from the Welfare Reform Bill were in the region of 拢200 million over the same period and these figures were also included in the papers presented to the Executive Sub-Committee on Welfare Reform."听听"The department is unable to provide updated figures as there is no current go-live date for the Welfare Reform Bill (NI) 2012.听听
"The HM Treasury are currently planning to reduce the Northern Ireland Block Grant by a total of 拢214 million over the 2013\14, 14\15 and 2015\16 financial years as a consequence of the Northern Ireland Executive not agreeing to implement of the Welfare Reform Bill (NI) 2012." ENDS

Thursday, 26 May 2011

Committee for Social Development

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First Day Brief

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Mr Will听Haire听(Department for Social Development, Permanent Secretary)

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'The changes that are in the pipeline and the issues that will be debated in the Chamber include welfare reform, including some of the most significant changes since the听Beveridgereport. Your constituents will be aware of changes in employment and support allowance and the question of reassessment already starting and major issues around that. However, we are gearing up for the change to universal credit, which will be a radically different way of delivering benefit.听

It will try to get rid of the benefit traps that have bedevilled the welfare system for a long time and will deliver it in a different way. There will be a significant change with many implications. Moreover, in recent budgets there have been significant changes to individual aspects of the existing system that have affected constituents. We know that those changes will take something between 拢450 million and 拢500 million out of the Northern Ireland economy over this CSR period.'

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