O’Neill calls on DUP to end ‘unacceptable block’ on welfare legislation

The deputy First Minister challenged her partners in government to explain why they were preventing proposals put forward by Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey from getting onto the agenda of the Executive.

Ms Hargey has written to SDLP, UUP and Alliance ministers asking them to join her in making a formal request to hold an urgent Executive meeting to consider proposals that include permanent extension of mitigation payments for those impacted by the so-called bedroom tax.

The minister claims repeated efforts to get the legislation put on the agenda of Executive have been stymied by the DUP.

The DUP has rejected her claims and has accused her of blaming others for a failure to bring forward “appropriate” proposals for Executive consideration.

Ms O’Neill was asked about the issue during Assembly question time on Monday.

Responding to a question from fellow Sinn Fein MLA Aine Murphy, Ms O’Neill said: “It is time to bin the bedroom tax once and for all.

“This issue has been delayed and has been stalled for far too long.

“And despite the best efforts, and I mean the best efforts, of the communities minister to bring forward the legislation that will put this to bed, once and for all it has failed to get on the Executive agenda.

“And that is really not acceptable, but it is for those who are blocking this matter from getting onto the Executive table to explain the rationale for their position.

“I can assure the members that the blockage does not rest with myself.”

In 2015, Stormont ministers committed to a £500 million package of mitigations to supplement the benefits of claimants losing out as a consequence of UK Government welfare reforms.

The measures were extended in March 2020, at a cost of £23 million per year, after Stormont parties committed to the move in the New Decade, New Approach deal that restored powersharing.

The bedroom tax, known as the spare room subsidy, results in a reduction in housing benefit for claimants who have one or more spare rooms in their social homes.

As well as making the bedroom tax mitigation permanent, Ms Hargey also wants to close loopholes that see claimants losing mitigation payments when they move to a similarly sized home and also the rule that limits benefits cap top-ups to those who were claimants in 2016.

It has been estimated that around 1,200 households miss out on payments as a result of those loopholes.

Ms Hargey has said she has secured the funds to cover the cost of closing the loopholes but cannot release the money until her proposals are signed off by the Executive, enabling her to bring the legislation through the Assembly.

The Executive agenda requires the joint agreement of First Minister Paul Givan and deputy First Minister Ms O’Neill.

Under Stormont procedures, three ministers can make a formal request for an urgent meeting of the Executive on a specific issue of concern.

Ms Hargey has written to SDLP Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon, UUP Health Minister Robin Swann and Alliance Party Justice Minister Naomi Long to ask for their support in calling an urgent meeting.

Ms O’Neill told the Assembly she backed Ms Hargey’s call for an urgent meeting.

“The legislation to amend the bedroom tax and amend the welfare for mitigation schemes by closing the loopholes is ready,” she said.

“The money’s been budgeted for, there’s no reason for delay.

“The Minister of Communities Deirdre Hargey is ready to get this done.

“The bedroom tax is a Tory attack on those most in need and that’s whether you live in Coleraine or you live in Belfast or Ballymena, it affects everybody equally.

“And I think that it’s time that this needs to be dealt with. I want to see the Executive making progress on this issue, I want to see the blockage ended, I want to see the communities minister move forward this legislation and for once and for all bin the bedroom tax.

“That is where we need to be.

“Despite some political parties who say that that was their public position, legislation is the way in which to actually confirm that to be the case.”

Earlier this month, DUP First Minister Mr Givan told the Assembly his party supported the extension of welfare mitigations.

He said his party had committed to the extension in New Decade, New Approach and to roll the funding over for an additional three years.

However, he noted that the region already provides more extensive welfare support than any other part of the UK and said the DUP believed the measures should be “subject to review at regular stages” to ensure Northern Ireland is offering the “most appropriate and effective support possible”.

On closing the two loopholes, Mr Givan said ministers would look at addressing any loopholes that are “not entirely new policy proposals beyond what has previously been agreed”.

He said the onus was on Ms Hargey to bring forward an “appropriate” paper for Executive consideration.

On Sunday, DUP executive office committee member Christopher Stalford said: “My party stands by the NDNA commitment.

“As the First Minister outlined in the chamber on 13 September, we want to see the current mitigations rolled over.

“The minister (Hargey) should stop blaming others for her failures.”