Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government for how long the information technology system used by the Department for Work and Pensions to calculate welfare benefits will be able to process claims from residents in Northern Ireland if different criteria continue to be used in Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

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.

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