31 August 2000

MINISTER OPENS NEW HOUSING BENEFITS OFFICE

People who are disputing housing benefit decisions will have the right of appeal to an independent tribunal under proposals to be introduced early next year, the Minister for Social Development, Maurice Morrow, MLA, said today.

The Minister was speaking at the official opening of the new Private Sector Housing Benefit Office at Keylands Place, Blackstaff Square, Belfast. The office, part of the Housing Executive’s Belfast Area Headquarters, has 43 staff and is expected to process around 18,500 cases per year and to pay out around £35 million in benefits.

He said: "Housing benefit plays a crucial role in the Government’s programme to eradicate poverty and I am determined to introduce improvements in the way it is paid and administered following the recent Green Paper which sought views on housing issues.

"There will also be major changes to the system for reviewing decisions on Housing Benefit claims. I am proposing to bring such reviews into line with those for other social security benefits from 2001.

"In practice, I intend there to be a right of appeal to an independent tribunal administered by the Appeals Service. This will give housing benefit claimants equality of access to the Social Security Commissioner and the Court of Appeal.

"I am committed to ensuring that the housing benefit system is accessible to every tenant on a fair and equitable basis. This new office will help ensure that the benefit is administered quickly and accurately."

After today’s ceremony, the Minister was presented with a copy of the Housing Executive’s annual report, which has just been published, by the Chairman, Sid McDowell.

In response, the Minister expressed his appreciation for the Housing Executive's continuing successful management of its stock, the work it is doing to address housing unfitness and urban regeneration and the significant contribution it is making to energy efficiency in the domestic sector.

He reaffirmed his commitment to argue the case for additional resources for the housing programme to meet housing need in Northern.