To ask the Minister for Communities to detail (i) the amount spent by his Department on the uptake of the Universal Credit Contingency Fund in the last five years; and (ii) any associated underspend in the Universal Credit Contingency Fund budget over the same period.

The Department publishes an annual report which details Discretionary Support performance and expenditure during each financial year. The annual reports can be accessed via the following website www.communities-ni.gov.uk/publications/welfare-supplementary-payments-discretionary-support-standards-advice-assistance-and-sanctions

There has been no underspend in the Universal Credit Contingency Fund budget in the last five years.