Communities to bring forward welfare reform mitigation legislation without any further delay.
Mr Allen said:
“The 2021-22 budget contains £42.8 million to enable the Department for Communities to not only formally extend the current mitigations but also close the loopholes within the social sector size criteria (bedroom tax) and benefit cap mitigations.
“However, despite repeated assurances from the Minister that the mitigations are to be extended by legislation and regulation where appropriate, neither have been introduced to the Assembly. The Department has been working on the extension and strengthening of the mitigations for some considerable time, and therefore I cannot understand why the required legislation has not as yet been brought forward.
“I welcome that the DFC committee is seeking the attendance of officials at the committee to provide an update on the introduction of the legislation to the Assembly, but I would also call on the Minister to bring the required legislation forward without any further delay, and if this cannot be achieved to provide a full explanation.”