Publications

The Department for Communities is offering funding to support the delivery of 300 new Intermediate Rent homes, and is seeking to work with an organisation (or multiple organisations working as one) who will act as the Intermediate Rent

Universal Credit (UC) supports people who are on a low income or out of work and helps to ensure that they are better off in work and are better off when they earn more.

The Intermediate Rent policy aims to achieve an increase in the supply of affordable homes for rent for lower-moderate income households.

The (budget) policy is trying to meet the challenge of the Department operating within their current spending limits while delivering services and meeting objectives.

There is a limit on the total amount of benefit that working age people can get. This is called the Benefit Cap. The Benefit Cap can be applied through Housing Benefit (HB) and Universal Credit (UC).

These regulations are mainly technical and do not reflect a change in policy.

The ranking of economic projects can be relatively easily determined using a range of quantitative economic measures, but estimating the anticipated impact of arts, heritage, sports and community projects - cultural projects - is more challenging.

The Economic and Social Research Review aims to capture and disseminate key economic and social research relevant to the Department’s policy agenda to inform evidence-based policy making.

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.

A change in the Notice to Quit Policy from 28 days to 7 days

The Department for Communities Voluntary and Community Division (VCD) has established a formal change programme aimed at improving how the Department ‘incentivises, supports and enhances community empowerment through an innovative and sustainable voluntary and community

The outturn results for the 2020/21 Public Library Standards which form part of the Department's Delivering Tomorrow’s Libraries policy.

The outturn results for the 2021/22 Public Library Standards which form part of the Department's Delivering Tomorrow’s Libraries policy.

Details of reports and policies which have not progressed due to the absence of a Minister

The objective of the policy is to further (1) support indigenous language and indigenous cultural development and/or (2) support pathways to employment and training through our indigenous languages and associated cultures.

There is a limit on the total amount of benefit that working age people can get. This is called the Benefit Cap. The Benefit Cap can be applied through Housing Benefit (HB) and Universal Credit (UC).

The Supporting People Policy Framework (NI) 2023, is the updated departmental guidance for the Supporting People Programme.

This report provides an overview of the first stage in the Department’s work on the implementation of a Debt Respite Scheme for Northern Ireland. 

This Addendum seeks to extend the term of the AWS BC by 2 years (from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2026) to ensure that the Scheme continues to deliver the original policy intent of helping those households in the private sector who are experiencing severe fuel poverty.

The introduction of this fund for Northern Ireland on 1 June 2022 was a commitment set out in the New Decade, New Approach deal, published in January 2020.