Welfare State: Northern Ireland

(asked on 9th September 2014) - View Source

Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of (a) capital cost and (b) maintenance and upgrading costs of a new IT system which would be required by the Northern Ireland Assembly's Department of Social Development to administer welfare-related matters in the event of Northern Ireland not proceeding with the current UK-wide welfare reform programme.


Answered by
Mark Harper Portrait
Mark Harper
Secretary of State for Transport
This question was answered on 13th October 2014

Northern Ireland is responsible for its own social security, pensions and child support systems. The Northern Ireland and Great Britain systems have traditionally operated in tandem in what is effectively a United Kingdom wide system. The information technology infrastructure that supports these systems covers the whole of the United Kingdom with a proportionate share of the cost being paid by Northern Ireland. Currently the total cost of running the information technology infrastructure and new developments is around £1bn per annum of which £16m is met by Northern Ireland.

Should Northern Ireland decide not to mirror the welfare reform measures in Great Britain, it would be a matter for the Executive to determine and fund the IT systems needed as a result of their decision.

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