Support if you're affected by welfare changes

Welfare Supplementary Payments

Welfare Supplementary Payments are available to support you if you may lose out under the following changes:

• Benefit Cap
• Employment and Support Allowance
• Personal Independence Payment
• Loss of disability premiums/elements
• Carers
• Changes to Housing Benefit

You may be eligible for more than one Welfare Supplementary Payment depending on your circumstances. 

If you have lost benefit as a result of the welfare changes, and you think you may be entitled to a Welfare Supplementary Payment, contact the Welfare Supplementary Payments Team to check if you are eligible. 

Payments will be made every four weeks in arrears.

If you have changes in your circumstances

It's important to report any changes in your circumstances - your Welfare Supplementary Payment award letter will explain how to do this. Changes in circumstances you need to report include:

•        admission to hospital or care home

•        change of address

•        change to bank account details

If you are paid too much

If you're paid too much money it's called an 'over-payment' and this money can be taken back. You will be contacted before any money is taken back.

If too much money is paid directly to your landlord, you may be asked to pay the money back. If your landlord has been asked to repay money this will impact your rent account.  You will get a letter telling you about the over-payment. If your housing provider agrees a repayment schedule can be put in place.

If you agree with the decision, you do not need to do anything as your landlord will be in touch.

If you disagree with the decision you can ask for the decision to be reviewed.  You can do this by either writing to or phoning the Department for Communities within one month of the date of you got the letter.

Waiver requests for over-payments

In exceptional circumstances, pay back of over-payments may be waived. You must show that your circumstances will only improve by waiver of the over-payment.

The waiver request must be made within three months of the date on your over-payment notice letter.

Evidence you must supply to support a waiver request

To apply for a waiver, you must provide information about the over-payment, and detail about your personal circumstances.

Waiving an over-payment will be considered if you can show that having to repay will lead to ill health or could cause more ill health. You will need to provide evidence to explain this.

 This can include a letter from a professional such as a:

• GP
• consultant
• psychiatric nurse
•  support worker

The evidence must clearly show that repaying the over-payment is impacting your health and prove that your health will only improve by waiving the debt.  This evidence should not simply be a list of any medical conditions you have.

Waiving an over-payment if it is causing you financial problems may also be considered. You will need to show that you have had financial problems for a long time and do not expect these to improve soon.

The request should be accompanied by the income and outgoing details of  you, your partner or any dependents. Examples of this may include:

• a full list of all debts and steps taken to manage the debt with those creditors
• full details of your income and expenses, your family, and any other members of the household
• bank statements for the past six months

If you owe other debt in addition to your Welfare Supplementary Payment over-payment, you need to explain why this should be waived above other debts you may owe.  You must provide evidence that you have contacted the organisations that you owe money to and attempted to put plans in place to repay these debts.

Evidence to show this includes letters from creditors pursuing debts or arrears of rent/rates/tax/mortgage.

You will get a letter asking you to provide more before any decision is made.

Where to send your information

If your landlord has been paid too much, you can send your waiver request to spt.overpayments@dfcni.gov.uk or write to 

Supplementary Payments Team
CastleCourt
Royal Avenue
Belfast
BT1 1HR

If you have been paid too much, you can send your waiver request to Debt Management Northern Ireland

There is no right of appeal against a decision not to apply discretion or if you disagree with the discretion applied. You can apply for a Judicial Review.

Welfare Supplementary Payments and Move to Universal Credit

If you currently get a Welfare Supplementary Payment and you are still affected by the social sector size criteria ‘bedroom tax’, benefit cap or other Welfare Supplementary Payments, after you move to Universal Credit, you will continue to be entitled to this payment.

You will not usually need to do anything.

If you have queries on the payment or for more information you should contact Universal Credit on freephone 0800 012 1331 or via your journal.

Welfare Supplementary Payments and tax credits

Welfare Supplementary Payments will only be included as income in your tax credits assessment if they replace a benefit that is currently included as income and which would normally have been taxable.

Welfare Supplementary Payments and Income Tax

Your Welfare Supplementary Payment may be taxable. 

If you receive a Welfare Supplementary Payment that is taxable, you must tell His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC). It is your responsibility to do this. You can tell HMRC through your online Personal Tax Account.

Online Personal Tax Account

You can set up or sign in to your online Personal Tax Account at the following page. You'll need your National Insurance Number and a passport or recent payslip.

• Personal tax account: sign in or set up

You can then use your Personal Tax Account to:

• tell HMRC of your taxable Welfare Supplementary Payments
• see if you are already paying any tax on your Welfare Supplementary Payments
• tell HMRC about changes to your taxable Welfare Supplementary Payments

More information and advice

For more information on Welfare Supplementary Payments, phone or write to the Welfare Supplementary Payments Team. 

If you use sign language, you might be able to use the video relay service to contact the Welfare Supplementary Payments Team using British Sign Language (BSL) or Irish Sign Language (ISL). To access the service, go to:

Welfare Supplementary Payments Team

For independent advice on Welfare Changes, contact the Advice NI Helpline. 

Discretionary Support

If you have a financial crisis and are eligible, you could be offered a Discretionary Support loan or grant.

Further information is available in the Finance Support section:

• Finance Support