CONTENTS
Training
Social security
Employment
Health and social care
Welcoming refugees
Job opportunities with NIJAC
TRAINING
Congratulations to our graduates
Congratulations to our 2015 Welfare Rights Adviser Programme and Tribunal Representation graduates; those who were able to attend the certificates presentation at our AGM as well as those who were unable to.
We have now started to train a new cohort of advisers on another fully booked WRAP course.
Photo: Assistant Director Jennifer Greenfield presents certificate to Felice Kiel of East Belfast Independent Advice Centre.
New courses for you
We have an exciting programme of courses for you in February and March. You can apply now for the courses below.
All our courses carry CPD points. Discounts apply to Law Centre members. Further discounts are available for early birds and block bookings.
More courses are listed in our Training Calendar. Contact
rhoda.lyle@lawcentreni.org or
Eamon.doherty@lawcentreni.org for more information or to reserve a place.
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SOCIAL SECURITY
Law Centre seminar discusses the future of social security
Photo: Eileen Evason and Alison Garnham with Jennifer Greenfield, Ursula O'Hare and Glenn Jordan, Law Centre (NI)
The Law Centre’s AGM on 28 January focused on the future of social security in the context of the recently published
report of the Welfare Reform Mitigations Working Group. The Group’s Chair, Professor Eileen Evason, presented the report and stressed that it is now up to government officials and advice organisations to make the mitigations work as best as possible.
Alison Garnham of Child Poverty Action Group
(pictured above) set out the UK-wide direction of travel of cuts to in-work and out-of-work benefits and the impact on child poverty, with the targets of the Child Poverty Act 2010 now unlikely to be met by 2020.
NIHRC Chief Commissioner Les Allamby argued for a human rights-based approach to challenging negative aspects of welfare reform. He congratulated a ‘down to earth’ Evason Report and suggested further mitigations on maternity benefits and support for people with mental health issues.
Dr Gráinne McKeever of Ulster University and Social Security Advisory Committee asked voluntary advice agencies to feed back to the Committee their concerns on the individual pieces of legislation that will shape the implementation of welfare reform in Northern Ireland.
Listen to the speakers, read the media reports here.
The welfare reform mitigations report
The Law Centre has welcomed the publication of the Welfare Reform Mitigations Working Group report. Headline recommendations of particular interest to social security advisers include:
- covering 75% of the loss incurred by people on Disability Living Allowance who would lose out over £10 a month in the move to Personal Independence Payment (PIP);
- additional PIP points for those with conflict related injuries;
- using the resources originally allocated to cover planned tax credit cuts to help people affected by the introduction of Universal Credit, as tax credit cuts have since been abandoned by the UK government.
As expected, the report also recommends full mitigation for the bedroom tax and a commitment to independent advice for people who need support in navigating the changes.
Read the
report here.
Photo: Chair of Welfare Reform Mitigations Working Group Eileen Evason.
Social Security Advisory Committee meets local advisers at the Law Centre
On 10 February, Law Centre (NI) hosted a meeting between the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) and members of the Welfare Reform Group. SSAC is consulting local agencies on the impact of welfare reform and other benefits issues.
SSAC is a UK-wide advisory non-departmental public body with an important role in scrutinising social security legislation.
Convened by the Law Centre, the Welfare Reform Group is a coalition of voluntary and community organisations whose client groups are affected by welfare reform developments.
Welfare reform timescales explained at Welfare Reform Group meeting
Tommy O’Reilly, Chief Executive of Social Security Agency, attended a meeting of the Law Centre’s Welfare Reform Group on 5 February.
Mr O’Reilly gave a presentation on the implementation of welfare reform including timescales and also answered questions from the group.
Photo: Tommy O'Reilly with some of the group's members.
Child Benefit for cross border worker
The issue of competent State for social security purposes causes difficulties for many cross border workers.
On referral from Newry Citizens Advice, Law Centre (NI) helped a client who had not received Child Benefit for over a year for this reason.
Born and raised in Northern Ireland, the client holds an Irish passport and has an online business. She moved four miles over the border and was receiving Child Benefit under EU rules as her business was registered in Northern Ireland and she paid UK taxes.
When her third child was born she received Maternity Allowance from the UK but Child Benefit was stopped on the basis that the UK was no longer her competent State.
We lodged written submissions on the EU law issue of competent State and sent a pre-action letter about the failure to process the recent claim.
The decision was revised and the claim was processed. Our client received arrears of £3,110 and weekly payments of £46.
Advisers are welcome to contact our social security legal advice unit for help on cases involving cross-border workers. Our advice line: 028 9024 4401, Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 1pm
LSP volunteer gets DLA award for client
The Law Centre’s Legal Support Project (LSP) successfully represented a woman in an appeal against refusal of Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
The client suffered from asthma, fibromyalgia, depression and anxiety. As a result, she found it difficult to go out unaccompanied and experienced difficulties with self- care.
The LSP helped her to collect supportive medical evidence for her appeal and an LSP volunteer represented her at the hearing. The tribunal awarded the Low Rate Mobility component for a two year period.
The client received a backdated payment of £847.95 and £21.80 per week for the remainder of the two-year period.
The LSP relies on pro-bono work to help people who would otherwise go unrepresented at social security and employment tribunal.
More information on the project and how to volunteer
How changes to State Pension affect social security benefits
The Department for Work and Pensions has announced that the State Pension age is going to increase at a faster pace than originally planned under the Pensions Act 2011.
This affects the qualifying age for a number of benefits, including:
- Pension Credit;
- working age benefits such as Employment and Support Allowance, Jobseeker's Allowance and Income Support;
- Winter Fuel Payment, Attendance Allowance, Disability Living Allowance and Personal Independence Payment.
More information
on our website
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EMPLOYMENT
Eradicating forced labour
'Problems at Work?', a new multilingual leaflet published by the Law Centre, was launched on 28 January, at a Department for Employment and Learning awareness raising seminar on labour exploitation.
The leaflet signposts advice for people in forced labour situations. It is translated into Albanian, Bulgarian, Chinese, Lithuanian, Polish, Romanian, Slovak, Tagalog and Vietnamese.
If you would like to help us get copies of the leaflet where it is most needed, contact our Communications Unit: 028 9024 4401,
catherine.couvert@lawcentreni.org
The leaflet is funded by PCSP.
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HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE
OFMDFM launches Active Ageing Strategy
Law Centre (NI) welcomes the publication of OFMDFM’s
Active Ageing Strategy for 2016-2021. We provided input into the strategy as part of the Ageing Strategy Advisory Group.
The Strategy commits all Departments of the NI Executive to work towards a Northern Ireland 'in which people, as they get older, are valued and supported to live actively to their fullest potential; with their rights respected and their dignity protected.'
It contains two strands: a first set of measures for which funding is currently available, and a second, aspirational, set of proposals. We hope the Executive will be able to allocate future funds to these important measures.
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Rights guide for Syrian families in VPR scheme
Law Centre (NI) has written a rights guide for the Syrian families in Northern Ireland under the Vulnerable Persons Relocation Scheme (VPR), with help from NI Human Rights Commission.
Available in English and Arabic, the guide covers rights, duties and entitlements in social security, employment, housing, health and social care and immigration. It also covers issues such as human rights and civil liberties, children’s rights and schooling.
The guide will assist in the smooth integration of the families who arrived in Northern Ireland last December, and of future groups of people expecting to arrive under the VPR Scheme.
The Law Centre ran an information session for the families in January on basic rights in Northern Ireland. A follow-up session in February will introduce the main issues covered in the guide.
The guide is funded by OFMDFM.
Free English classes for refugees
Law Centre (NI) welcomed Minister Farry’s announcement that his Department will ensure that all refugees in Northern Ireland can access English classes in further education colleges, free of charge.
This change in policy – while relatively small in budget terms – will make a huge difference to the lives of refugees in Northern Ireland, from enhancing their employment prospects to enabling them to support their children in their schoolwork.
Recognising the importance of English language skills for refugees, the Law Centre, NICRAS and Bryson Charitable Group first called for this measure back in 2010.
DEL agreed to implement free English classes on a pilot basis from 2012. The following year, the Law Centre compiled detailed feedback from a range of voluntary and community organisations and made the case for extending the scheme to all refugees.
The Refugee and Asylum Forum made this one of its Five Asks in its SAFER campaign in 2015, highlighting the importance of free English classes in refugee integration. The campaign gained backing from Belfast City Council and from many MLAs who cited it during a Northern Ireland Assembly debate. The Equality Commission, OFMDFM and many voluntary organisations had also lent their support.
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JOB OPPORTUNITIES
County Court Judge
Northern Ireland Judicial Appointments Commission is inviting applications for the office of County Court Judge. It is intended to make one appointment (and to create a reserve list).
Completed applications must be received by NIJAC no later than 12 noon on Monday 15 February.
Further details: NIJAC- Current Opportunities
CICAP Adjudicator
NIJAC is also inviting applications for appointment to the office of fee paid Adjudicator (Lay Member) of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel for Northern Ireland (CICAP). The deadline for applications is 12 noon, Monday 22 February.
Further details: NIJAC- Current Opportunities
