Publications

The overall objectives of Universal Credit and Jobseeker’s Allowance are to support people who are on a low income or out of work. They provide claimants with the support they need to prepare for work, move into work, or to earn more if already in work.

The Collective Money Purchase Schemes Regulations implement a new authorisation and supervisory regime for collective money purchase schemes a type of occupational pension scheme in which the contributions of members and employers are pooled and invested with a view to deliver

This document presents the findings of the first five stages of the process and the (stage 6) decisions taken by the Department for Communities with regards to Changes to the Discretionary Support Scheme. 

Due to the ongoing absence of the Northern Ireland Assembly, we are required to revoke and remake any confirmatory sets of Regulations.

The policy was revised as the result of a Judicial Review and a subsequent appeal by the Department for Work and Pensions which was refused.

The proposed Statutory Rule, the Pensions Dashboards (No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023, revokes and replaces the Pensions Dashboards Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2023 (S.R. 2023 No.

These Regulations amend regulation 10 of the Social Security (Widow’s Benefit and Retirement Pensions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1979  (“the 1979 Regulations”), so that a Category D retirement pension can continue to be claimed by those resident in

This Statutory Rule is a purely technical order that provides for the revaluation of new State Pension scheme pension debits and credits that arise when a Pension Sharing Order is made by the courts where divorce proceedings commence from 6 April 2016. 

This Statutory Rule is a technical Order giving effect to a statutory requirement to specify the percentage that will be used to revalue the “protected payment” element of a new State Pension for persons who reach State Pension age on or after 9 April 2024.

When a person changes jobs they also leave their employer’s pension scheme. An employee can ask to have their pension rights transferred to the new scheme.

In accordance with section 146(5) and (6) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, the Department is required to prepare an annual report on the operation of the Social Fund and to lay the report before the Assembly.

These Regulations are purely technical in nature and will make a minor amendment to the Social Fund Maternity and Funeral Expenses Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005.

This Statutory Rule introduces permanent changes to the legislation regarding the third-party deduction (TPD) scheme process for requesting deductions from benefit for ongoing consumption payments.

Discretionary Support is administered by the Department for Communities (the Department). The Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015 makes provision for the Department to make payments by way of grant or loan to prescribed persons.

Urgent legislation is required to ensure that certain cohorts of people coming here from Israel, the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, East Jerusalem, the Golan Heights or Lebanon as a result of the Hamas attack in Israel on 7 October 2023 or the violence which rapidly escalated in t

Move to UC forms part of the wider Department of Work & Pensions (DWP) approach of moving Working Tax Credit or Child Tax Credit customers safely and supportively on to UC by the end of 2024.