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  • Breadcrumb

    1. Home
    2. Government, citizens and rights
    3. Your rights and responsibilities

    Diversity and discrimination

    Find out about discrimination because of age, gender, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation or disability. If you think you have been treated unfairly or have been discriminated against you can get help and advice to understand and enforce your rights.

    Getting help and advice

    The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland can advise you if you believe you have suffered unlawful discrimination on the grounds of:

    • age
    • disability
    • gender
    • race
    • religion or belief
    • sexual orientation

    The law protects against discrimination at work on all of the above grounds. It also covers acts of discrimination in accessing services, or buying goods, or renting, buying or accessing premises on all those grounds except age.

    •  Equality Commission for Northern Ireland

    Age

    There is legal protection against age discrimination in Northern Ireland. Treating staff fairly and recognising individuals' talents and needs is not just the right thing to do, but makes good business sense as well.

    • Age discrimination

    Sex and gender equality

    Unlawful sex discrimination is when someone is treated unfairly because of their gender. It also includes treating someone less favourably because they are married or in a civil partnership.

    Women, men and transsexual people can all experience sex discrimination.

    In Northern Ireland, there is a legal obligation on public authorities to promote equality of opportunity between:

    • people of different religious belief, political opinion, racial group, age, marital status or sexual orientation
    • men and women generally
    • people with a disability and people without
    • people with dependants and people without

    Sexual orientation

    The term 'sexual orientation' refers to a person’s emotional, romantic or sexual attraction towards people of the same sex, people of the opposite sex, or people of the same sex and opposite sex.

    The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland has information and advice about discrimination due to an individual's sexual orientation, or perceived orientation, or the sexual orientation of those they associate with.

    If you think you have been treated unfairly because of your sexual orientation, you can get advice and support:

    • Equality Commission for Northern Ireland
    • Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission

    Race

    The Race Relations (Northern Ireland) Order makes it unlawful to discriminate in:

    • employment
    • education
    • the disposal and management of premises
    • the provision of goods, facilities and services

    It also says that segregation on racial grounds is discrimination.

    The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland has responsibility for enforcing race relations legislation. It also has a specific duty to advise and help people who feel they are being discriminated against racially.

    Definitions of disability

    You will find more information about definitions of 'disability' and general rights of access to goods and services at the following section:

    • People with disabilities

    Discrimination at work

    Find information on what discrimination means due to age, sex, race, disability, religion or belief and sexual orientation - and what can be done about it: 

    • Discrimination at work 

    More information on fair employment and treatment in the workplace is also available from the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland website.

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    Your rights and responsibilities

    • Children's human rights
    • Diversity and discrimination
    • Find out your rights
    • Freedom of information and data protection
    • Gender recognition
    • Your rights after leaving the EU

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    What to do next

    Comments or queries about angling can be emailed to anglingcorrespondence@daera-ni.gov.uk 

    If you have a comment or query about benefits, you will need to contact the government department or agency which handles that benefit.  Contacts for common benefits are listed below.

    Carer's Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912
    Email 
    dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Discretionary support / Short-term benefit advance

    Call 0800 587 2750 
    Email 
    customerservice.unit@communities-ni.gov.uk

    Disability Living Allowance

    Call 0800 587 0912 
    Email dcs.incomingpostteamdhc2@nissa.gsi.gov.uk

    Employment and Support Allowance

    Call 0800 587 1377

    Jobseeker’s Allowance

    Contact your local Jobs & Benefits office

    Personal Independence Payment

    Call 0800 587 0932

    If your query is about another benefit, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    Comments or queries about the Blue Badge scheme can be emailed to bluebadges@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk or you can also call 0300 200 7818.

    For queries or advice about careers, contact the Careers Service.

    For queries or advice about Child Maintenance, contact the Child Maintenance Service.

    For queries or advice about claiming compensation due to a road problem, contact DFI Roads claim unit.

    If you can’t find the information you’re looking for in the Coronavirus (COVID-19) section, then for queries about:

    • Restrictions or regulations — contact the Department of Health
    • Travel advice (including self-isolation) — contact the Department of Health
    • Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations — contact the Department of Health or Public Health Agency

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk and for queries about your certificate, email covidcertni@hscni.net.

    For queries or advice about criminal record checks, email ani@accessni.gov.uk

    Application and payment queries can be emailed to ema_ni@slc.co.uk

    For queries or advice about employment rights, contact the Labour Relations Agency.

    For queries or advice about birth, death, marriage and civil partnership certificates and research, contact the General Register Office Northern Ireland (GRONI) by email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk

    For queries about your GRONI account, email gro_nisra@finance-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about the High Street Spend Local Scheme,  email HSSS.mail@economy-ni.gov.uk.

    For queries about:

    • Car tax, vehicle registration and SORN
      contact the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA), Swansea
       
    • Driver licensing and tests, MOT and vehicle testing
      contact the Driver & Vehicle Agency (DVA), Northern Ireland

    If your query is about another topic, select ‘Other’ from the drop-down menu above.

    For queries about your identity check, email nida@nidirect.gov.uk.

     

    For queries or advice about passports, contact HM Passport Office.

    For queries or advice about Penalty Charge Notices (PCNs), including parking tickets and bus lane PCNs, email dcu@infrastructure-ni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about pensions, contact the Northern Ireland Pension Centre.

    If you wish to report a problem with a road or street you can do so online in this section.

    If you wish to check on a problem or fault you have already reported, contact DfI Roads.

    For queries or advice about historical, social or cultural records relating to Northern Ireland, use the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) enquiry service.

    For queries or advice about rates, email LPSCustomerTeam@lpsni.gov.uk

    For queries or advice about  60+ and Senior Citizen SmartPasses (which can be used to get concessionary travel on public transport), contact Smartpass - Translink.

    If you have a question about a government service or policy, you should contact the relevant government organisation directly.  We don't have access to information about you.

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    • nibusinessinfo.co.uk

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