Face-to-face assessments for all benefits suspended for three months in Northern Ireland

Communities Minister also announces that all routine appointments at Jobs and Benefits Offices will be postponed

Face-to-face assessments for disability benefits are to be suspended for three months in Northern Ireland, the Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has announced.

In order to ensure the continued delivery of important social security services during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, Ms Hargey advised - 

'I am suspending face-to-face assessments for all benefits for a period of three months. From today, assessments will be carried out by telephone, or by considering medical evidence submitted by post and we are exploring ways to make this system more flexible.

Anyone who has an appointment for assessment scheduled will be contacted to cancel their appointment.  Anyone who does present for an appointment at an assessment centre will be offered the choice of either going ahead with the assessment or leaving and having their assessment completed over the telephone or by Paper Based Review.'

In addition, in respect of appointments at Jobs and Benefits Offices (JBOs), Ms Hargey said - 

'With effect from today, all routine appointments at our JBOs will be postponed to protect those visiting and working in the offices. Anyone due to sign-on will be excused from signing. For those already receiving benefits, they will continue to receive their payments and work coaches will communicate with them via their on-line journal, the phone or will simply re-schedule appointments for a later date. The Department has already announced that nobody will be penalised as a result of not attending the office and that remains the case.'

Finally, Ms Hargey confirmed that new claims for universal credit will still be made online, but that - 

'Additional telephony support will be made available to help people with their new claim. All follow up activities will be managed on-line or over the phone. Nobody will have to visit the office at any stage of making their new claim, except in exceptional circumstances. Payments will still be processed as usual and over 95 per cent of new claims should continue to be paid when due.

Similar arrangements have been put in place to avoid anyone claiming Discretionary Support from having to call into their local office as part of that claim.'

For more information, see Minister announces measures to protect the most vulnerable to ensure delivery of social security services from communities-ni.gov.uk