To ask the Minister for Communities to detail the support his Department provides to farmers who are in receipt of Universal Credit.

My Department delivers Universal Credit from a network of 35 locally based Jobs and Benefit offices and through its regionally based service centres.

My Universal Credit work coaches and case managers provide focused, bespoke face the face, telephony, and online support to help farmers make and maintain their Universal Credit claim.

This will include explaining the different terminology, supporting them to report their income and expenses and telling them about the different in work allowances that Universal Credit provides.

These include the work allowance, how the earnings taper will reduce the impact of the wages they receive, the childcare element that pays up to 85% of childcare and my Departments Adviser Discretion Fund. This fund provides a non-repayable grant of up to £1500, to help unemployed and self-employed people overcome the financial barriers to starting or returning to work, including the cost of upfront childcare. Further information on self-employment can be found online at: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/universal-credit-if-youre-self-employed

Recognising the particular challenges faced by the farming community, my senior officials met with representatives from the Ulster Farmer’s Union to gain a better understanding of the difficulties they will face reporting their income and expenses monthly. Importantly they offered to work with the Ulster Farmer’s Union to help ease the transition from tax credits to Universal Credit and they stand ready with this offer.

Separately my officials have been working with the Advice Sector to increase communication and awareness of the support we offer, answer queries and to further increase our awareness of the additional support my staff working in Universal Credit need to provide for farmers.