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This is a simple guide to let our tenants know how Welfare Reform may affect them. Follow the links for further advice and guidance. Our Housing Officers are also available to answer queries on 028 9059 2110.
The Government has changed the way social security benefits are administered and paid. Many of these changes are already in place in mainland UK. They are being introduced into Northern Ireland one by one.
This page gives information on a range of benefits and how they are changing. If you receive any of them, you will be affected. So it is essential to know what is happening. But don’t forget, at NB Housing, our staff can assist you with any query you have.
If you are currently claiming housing benefits, the changes could affect you. The first change you need to know about is the Social Size Criteria, also known as the Bedroom Tax. This started on 20th February 2017 and will affect you if the property you live in is under-occupied by one or more bedrooms.
You can only claim a certain number of rooms depending on how many people live in your home. This will only apply to those of working age. Those deemed to be under-occupying their property will lose 14% of their housing benefit if they have one spare room and 25% if they have two or more spare rooms.
For example, if your rent is £100 per week (excluding rates) and you have one spare room, your housing benefit would be reduced to £86.00 per week if you had two or more spare rooms. Your housing benefit would be reduced to £75.00 per week.
Under the Northern Ireland mitigations package, the Government has agreed to cover any shortfall in housing benefits for those affected by this change until 31st March 2020. This is known as Welfare Supplementary Payment (WSP), and this will be paid automatically to NB Housing. You do not need to claim it. After March 2020, you will have to pay any shortfall in Housing Benefit to NB Housing.
PLEASE NOTE: If you transfer after the 20th February 2017 to another NB Housing or NIHE/ other housing association property and do not reduce the current level of under-occupancy, you will lose your WSP. For example, suppose you currently live in a one-bedroom, under-occupied property and move to a property that is also one bedroom under-occupied. In that case, you will lose your WSP because you have not reduced the level of under-occupancy by moving.
At present, this does not apply to those who have management transfer status as opposed to an ordinary transfer. Management transfer status is mainly awarded to those deemed homeless or potentially homeless by NIHE; however, there are other circumstances when management transfer status can be awarded. Further information is available here.
Universal Credit is one of the most significant changes under Welfare Reform introduced in Northern Ireland. It was introduced in Northern Ireland on a phased geographical basis from 27th September until December 2018. This new benefit will be for working-age (16-64) and replaces six of the main working-age benefits.
This benefit will assist with living and housing costs. It will also help carers and people too ill to work, with childcare costs. Payment of these benefits will be made to a household twice monthly. A monthly payment can be requested. You will no longer receive housing benefit. Your housing costs under Universal Credit will be paid directly to NB Housing.
The six benefits that Universal Credit replaces are:
Please note that help with rates will no longer be available under Universal Credit. This will have to be applied for separately via Land and Property Services. This will be called Rates Rebate. NB Housing will advise further about this process.
Please ensure you have an independent benefit check before moving into UC, as it may not be financially beneficial at this time.
Please note that if you receive the Severe Disability Premium or have received it within the last month as part of your benefits, you cannot transfer onto UC and should claim legacy benefits instead, such as Housing Benefit or Income-Based ESA.
For more information about Universal Credit, click here.
Discretionary Support payments have replaced Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans for household items and living costs. Discretionary support offers grants and interest-free loans to people on a low income who are in unprecedented crises. Discretionary support will be provided through loans for:
Discretionary support will be awarded through grants where:
The regulations also set out provisions about:
For further information, click here.
Disputing a Social Security Benefit Decision
How you can dispute a social security decision has also changed. Suppose you disagree with a social security benefit decision or overpayment request. In that case, you will now have to ask the office in question to reconsider the decision formally. This is known as a mandatory reconsideration.
If this decision is upheld and you still disagree, you then have the opportunity to appeal this. You will have to register your appeal directly to the appeals service after mandatory reconsideration. This is a slight change beforehand; you could have lodged your appeal with your social security agency department.
If you need some help with your reconsideration request, contact your local Advice Agency (previously known as Citizens Advice Bureau) or Advice NI. Try to get in touch straight away – you might have to wait for an appointment, and you only have a month to send your letter in.
We at NB Housing hope you have found this information helpful. Should you need further advice or information, please do not hesitate to contact us on 028 9059 2110 or via email; our staff are more than happy to assist.
Personal Independence Payments (PIPs) has replaced Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for working-age people (16-64). This is a new benefit to help those with disabilities or long term health issues.
PIPS are not a means-tested benefit. This means that the claimant’s income or savings are not taken into account. If you are working, you can still apply. The only remaining DLA awards will be those for under 16s (child DLA) and anyone aged 65 or over. Anyone currently claiming DLA will have received or will receive a letter advising their claim will be coming to an end and invite them to claim the new PIP benefit.
What is the difference between PIP and DLA?
The key change is that PIP has introduced a new assessment process. It looks at the impact the condition has on a person’s everyday life rather than the condition itself. There are two components – Daily Living and Mobility. When being assessed for each of these components, a person will be given a score to determine if they qualify. For each component, you must score at least 8 points to qualify. This will give you the standard rate and 12 points or above will entitle you to the enhanced rates. The new rates are shown below;
Disability Living Allowance Rates:
Personal Independence Payments Rates
For more information on this benefit, change click here.
The benefit cap was first introduced in Northern Ireland in May 2016. This restricts the amount of money a person or family can receive on certain benefits.
The Benefit Cap limits are currently:
If you receive certain benefits, you will be exempt from the cap.
If you are affected by the benefit cap, your housing benefit will be reduced. That means that you will be entitled to less housing benefit. This reduction will be covered by an automatic supplementary payment made to NB Housing until 31st March 2020. You do not need to claim this. The Department for Communities will have already contacted you or informed you
Employment and Support Allowance
Employment Support Allowance (ESA) benefits people of working age who can only work because of ill health or disability.
There are two types of ESA:
Contributory ESA – linked to your National Insurance contributions
Income-related ESA – means-tested and takes into account your other income and savings
You may be entitled to either or a combination of the two. The Work Capability Assessment, carried out by Approved Healthcare Professionals (AHP) on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), tests your eligibility.
Support Group
The test lists activities and descriptions relating to physical and mental, cognitive or intellectual functions. If you satisfy at least one, you are thought to have limited capability for work-related activity. You will be placed in the support group.
People in this group:
get a higher rate of ESA
are protected from the benefit cap
do not have to do specified work-related tasks
Work-related activity group
Suppose you do not satisfy at least one activity. In that case, you are thought not to have limited capability for work-related activity and are placed in the work-related activity group.
People in this group:
get a lower rate of ESA
are not protected from the benefit cap
must-do specified work-related tasks
Limited capability for work
The first test is the Limited Capability for Work assessment. This considers 17 activities and descriptors: 10 physical and 7 mental, cognitive and intellectual.
Contributory ESA
If you are entitled to Contribution Based ESA and are placed in the Work-Related Activity Group (WRAG), your payment is limited to 365 days payment. And from April 2017, if you are placed in the WRAG, you will not be awarded any additional payment. Your weekly amount will be the same as Contribution Based JSA. After 365 days, you may be able to claim Universal Credit, but this depends on any other income and that of your partner, if applicable.
How to claim ESA
You can claim ESA by:
Calling the Job Centre claim line (Telephone 0800 055 6688/ Textphone 0800 023 4888)
Using the paper claim form ESA1
For more information about ESA, please click here.
There is a five-week waiting period before the first payment when you claim UC. You can apply for an advanced payment to cover this period, but this will be a loan, paid back over 12 months from your UC entitlement. However, you can also access the UC Contingency Fund, a grant aimed at supporting benefits claimants with financial difficulties.
Applicants must have already claimed a UC advanced payment, have not received a discretionary support living expenses grant within the previous year and must be in their first or second UC assessment period. Don’t hesitate to contact us for further information concerning the UC Contingency Fund.
and automatically set up the payments to ensure you are not immediately affected. For further information on the Benefit Cap, click here.
Employment Support Allowance (ESA) benefits people of working age who can only work because of ill health or disability.
There are two types of ESA:
You may be entitled to either or a combination of the two. The Work Capability Assessment, carried out by Approved Healthcare Professionals (AHP) on behalf of the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP), tests your eligibility.
Support Group
The test lists activities and descriptions relating to physical and mental, cognitive or intellectual functions. If you satisfy at least one, you are thought to have limited capability for work-related activity. You will be placed in the support group.
People in this group:
Work-related activity group
Suppose you do not satisfy at least one activity. In that case, you are thought not to have limited capability for work-related activity and are placed in the work-related activity group.
People in this group:
Limited capability for work
The first test is the Limited Capability for Work assessment. This considers 17 activities and descriptors: 10 physical and 7 mental, cognitive and intellectual.
Contributory ESA
If you are entitled to Contribution Based ESA and are placed in the Work-Related Activity Group (WRAG), your payment is limited to 365 days payment. And from April 2017, if you are placed in the WRAG, you will not be awarded any additional payment. Your weekly amount will be the same as Contribution Based JSA. After 365 days, you may be able to claim Universal Credit, but this depends on any other income and that of your partner, if applicable.
How to claim ESA
You can claim ESA by:
For more information about ESA, please click here.
There is a five-week waiting period before the first payment when you claim UC. You can apply for an advanced payment to cover this period, but this will be a loan, paid back over 12 months from your UC entitlement. However, you can also access the UC Contingency Fund, a grant aimed at supporting benefits claimants with financial difficulties.
Applicants must have already claimed a UC advanced payment, have not received a discretionary support living expenses grant within the previous year and must be in their first or second UC assessment period. Don’t hesitate to contact us for further information concerning the UC Contingency Fund.
You can read more information on Welfare Reform on Citizen’s Advice website or download and read the document available.
At NB Housing we want to hear what you think about our services. Your responses give us an opportunity to improve what we deliver.
Every year we send tenants a satisfaction survey to give the opportunity to give us your feedback. Results are correlated, communicated and actions taken to improve services where necessary.
Listed below are some of the most recent results for your information. Should you wish to provide further feedback please do not hesitate to make contact.
Requests completed
Surveyed said that they found staff helpful
Surveyed were satisfied with the overall service of NB Housing
Surveyed said that staff were able to deal with their query
We have created a downloadable document with more information on the Welfare Reform: