The Stormont Executive should specify which public services it intends to cut, when it breaks ‘parity’ with the welfare system in the rest of the UK, next month, according to NI Conservatives’ spokesman, Mark Brotherston.
“The Northern Ireland Assembly has failed to pass the Welfare Reform bill this year, despite the fact that the first stage of the legislation was introduced over a year ago and discussions have been going on for much longer than that”, explained Mark. “That means that from January it will have broken ‘parity’ with the welfare system in the rest of the UK. The result is that the Executive has to fund the differences between the reformed system in the rest of the country and the unreformed system in Northern Ireland. The price-tag starts at around £5 million per month, with the first instalment due next month, and climbs to £250 million per year, which will be taken from the block grant.”
“Put simply, the failure of the parties at Stormont to agree a way forward on welfare reform could cost the people of Northern Ireland £250 million per year, which would otherwise be available for schools, hospitals, the police and other public services. That is an enormously expensive failure and the Executive should spell out immediately how it is to be funded. What services does it plan to cut, next month, when the charges begin? How will it fund the steadily rising costs, as the year continues? This is a situation which is extremely serious and it needs to be sorted out as soon as possible. The legislation needs to be passed immediately, otherwise the parties owe it to the people of Northern Ireland to be honest about this money and where it will come from.”