Welfare Reform

The Cliff Edge Coalition is once again urgently calling for legislation to be passed to extend the welfare reform mitigations package. Without new legislation, mitigations will end in March 2021.The Coalition is further calling for this legislation to close loopholes in the existing arrangements which have left thousands unprotected from the benefit cap and bedroom tax. 

BBC News NI reported last week on system failures within Universal Credit that have left some local tenants in rent arrears.  We’d encourage anyone who has fallen behind on their housing payments to get advice urgently, regardless of the reasons for missed payments. 

The Department for Communities has written to the Cliff Edge Coalition to confirm that existing mitigation payments will continue until 30 September 2020 and that a draft Bill to provide for mitigation payments for people affected by the Bedroom Tax has been shared with the Executive.