Publications

The Terms of Reference set the purpose, constitution and administrative arrangements for the Local Government Pension Scheme (NI) Advisory Board. The Terms of Reference are available below.

Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is a new benefit replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for people aged between 16 to 64 years. PIP and DLA cannot be claimed at the same time. PSU have compiled statistics...

The Benefit Cap is a limit on the total amount of benefit that working-age people can receive. From 31 May 2016, the amount a household could receive in benefit income was limited to £26,000 per...

Universal Credit is a new payment to help support households that are out of work or are on a low income. Universal Credit was introduced in Northern Ireland on a phased geographical basis from 27...

The Benefits Statistics Summary is released quarterly in the last week of February, May, August and November.

Claims for Universal Credit | Effects of Transition to Universal Credit

The Department’s Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) for Architecture and the Built Environment are champions and advocates for placemaking in Northern Ireland. During the design, development and delivery of places, many and varied people and processes...

Local Councils prompt payments report for quarter ending September 2019.The Department requests information from councils at the end of each Quarter on the processing of invoices as detailed in the circular LG 19/2016 Prompt Payment...

The Scheme of Emergency Financial Assistance (SEFA) is designed to aid individual householders who have suffered severe inconvenience as a result of internal flooding to their properties. Householders who are deemed eligible under the criteria...

The total number of appeals registered during the year to which this report relates was 9197, of which 1021 were monitored.The report reveals that overall levels of incorrectness in the initial decision ranges from 0%...

Statistics on participation in sport: findings from the 2018/19 Continuous Household Survey.

The Benefit Cap is a limit on the total amount of benefit that working-age people can receive. From 31 May 2016, the amount a household could receive in benefit income was limited to £26,000 per...

This Statistical Fact Sheet, which is published three times a year (along with a more detailed annual bulletin), presents key information on employment vacancies which have been notified to the Department for Communities (DfC) JobCentres...

This report gives detailed information on progress on the standard of decision making within the Child Maintenance Service.

A quick guide for advisors when making a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) claim on behalf of someone who is terminally ill (who has less than six months to live) to allow them to get help...

Statistics on experience of volunteering: findings from the 2018/19 Continuous Household Survey.

The Department’s Community Empowerment Division organised and facilitated a round of stakeholder engagement events between October and December 2018 at venues across Northern Ireland; with two in Belfast, and one each in Derry/Londonderry, Ballymena, Portadown...

The Local Government circular 25/2019 details the process to be followed for council applications in relation to article 19 applications regarding reimbursement of travel and subsistence.

Historic Environment Division in the Department for Communities’ role as a statutory consultee in the planning process includes ensuring that archaeological investigations take place in advance of development projects when necessary. Most archaeological excavations in...

The Local Government Circular 23/2019 provides a set of consolidated guidance on councillor allowances.