Publications

The Department wishes to introduce measures to assist those living in the private rented sector in the face of the COVID 19 emergency with particular focus being in relation to financial assistance and prevention of evictions.

The Local Government Circular 08/2020 provides a set of consolidated guidance on councillor allowances.

The Occupational and Personal Pension Schemes (General Levy) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020 give effect to new rates to calculate the general levy payable by occupational pension schemes and personal pension schemes.

Discretionary Support was introduced as a Northern Ireland-specific scheme to replace Social Fund Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans for living expenses following their abolition as part of the package of welfare reforms.  The Discretionary Support policy was develope

The amounts of the automatic enrolment and re-enrolment earnings trigger (the earnings level at which an employee must be automatically enrolled) and the qualifying earnings band (the earnings on which contributions must be paid) are set out in the Pensions (No.

The proposed statutory rule allows earnings factors derived from historic earnings to be restated at current values (i.e. values at tax year 2020/21 determined by reference to Average Weekly Earnings (AWE) for 12 months ending September 2019.

This Order specifies the percentage by which the guaranteed minimum pension element of an individual’s occupational pension entitlement is increased with effect from 6th April 2020 (a person could accrue a guaranteed minimum pension in a contracted-out occupational pensi

Article 29 (1) of the Local Government (NI) Order 2005 confers powers on district councils in relation to emergencies.

Local Government Circular LG 09/2020 – District Council (Northern Ireland) Rate Statistics 2020/2021

The Pensions Act 2004 set up the Pension Protection Fund, on a UK-wide basis, to provide compensation for members of eligible occupational pension schemes, where the sponsoring employer is insolvent and the scheme has insufficient assets to pay benefits at Fund compensation le

Section 170 of the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993 allows for the administration costs of the Pensions Regulator and the Pensions Ombudsman, and in part the Money and Pensions Service to be recovered by means of an annual general levy on occupational and personal p

The Líofa Initiative Gaeltacht Bursary Scheme is a promotional, educational and life-long learning initiative to assist individuals who have undertaken a challenge to become fluent in Irish.

It is unlawful for letting agents to pass on fees to tenants for services that a letting agent carries out on behalf of a landlord under the Commission on Disposal of Land (NI) Order 1986.   For example, fees charged to show a prospective tenant a property.

The rates of most social security benefits, pensions and lump sum payments are reviewed each year and usually up-rated in April. The legislation that provides for the increase in the rates is:

Section 34(1) of the Charities Act (Northern Ireland) 1964 requires that the Department prepare an annual report of its proceedings under that Act and the Charities (Northern Ireland) Order 1987.