Belfast benefits appeals service loses funding

Gerry Tubritt said the loss of the service would have a severe impact

A service supporting people appealing their benefits decisions is to lose its funding at the end of this week.

The Belfast Citywide Tribunal Service was set up three years ago with money from the city council.

Gerry Tubritt, the chair of the Belfast Advice Group which manages the scheme, said loss of the service would have a severe impact.

Belfast City Council said funding for the service was always due to end by 31 December 2016.

The Department for Communites did not provide funding for the organisation but granted money to the council for representation services.

A spokesperson said the minister has announced funding of £2.5m for the Welfare Reform Advice Services Consortium, which includes Citizens Advice, AdviceNI and the Law Centre NI.

They said this was to "provide additional services to assist the general public through the implementation of the ongoing changes to the welfare system".

'Difficult to navigate'

Mr Tubritt said staff have provided representation at 3,203 appeals.

"The benefits system can be difficult for those people to navigate at the best of times, but particularly when it involves turning up in person to a formal hearing before a panel which includes people with a legal or medical background."

"The rationale for the Citywide Tribunal Service is if anything more relevant now than it was in 2013, and we would urge Belfast City Council to keep funding the service whilst seeking support from the Department of Communities or other relevant government departments to sustain it until 2020," he said.

Belfast City Council said it recognised the important role this service has played in helping people across the city.

In a statement it said: "In terms of timing, we had initially agreed to fund this project for two years to a total value of £429,209.60 back in 2013.

"This was then extended in March 2015 to the value of £175,000, with extra resources again made available, through our Community Support Programme, to secure the project until 31 December 2016."