Bedroom tax: Resolution in sight for NI mitigation measures

Communities Minister Paul Givan, of the DUP, told the BBC he intends to bring legislation to the assembly next week, possibly as early as Monday

Political wrangling over Stormont's plan to mitigate the impact of the so-called bedroom tax seems to be ending.

Communities Minister Paul Givan said he will introduce legislation next week to set up the mitigation scheme.

It should have been approved by the executive but as it is not functioning, he will take the extraordinary step of bringing it directly to the assembly.

Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir said Sinn Féin will support Mr Givan's legislation to mitigate the tax.

However, he maintained his argument there was never any need for fresh legislation to introduce the measure.

Speaking on the BBC's The View on Thursday night, Mr Ó Muilleoir said: "It's the prerogative of the [communities] minister to get it sorted out, but he can be assured of this - Sinn Féin will support him in opposing the bedroom tax.

"He shouldn't have introduced the issue. It is not an issue - there will be no bedroom tax."

The "bedroom tax" is a Westminster government policy which cuts housing benefits for some social housing tenants.

Under the Fresh Start deal, Northern Ireland Executive ministers had agreed to fund a mitigation policy but that plan has not yet been passed by the assembly.

Mr Givan said legislation was required but Mr Ó Muilleoir argued the scheme could be introduced under existing budget powers.

Both ministers published conflicting advice which they have been given by their senior civil servants.

Finance Minister Máirtín Ó Muilleoir, from Sinn Féin, said mitigation payments did not need new legislation

David Sterling, from Mr Ó Muilleoir's Department of Finance, wrote: "I am content, having taken legal advice, that from a legal perspective the 2016 Budget Act provides sufficient legislative authority to make bedroom tax mitigation payments.

Mr Sterling cautioned that the Budget Act does not provide for the terms and conditions of any mitigation scheme.

However, he added that "there is no legal reason why these matters cannot be determined administratively".

That advice was questioned by Leo Reilly from the Department of Communities who wrote that "it would be unprecedented to introduce a new welfare scheme estimated to cost around £25m per year solely on the basis of administrative action."

Mr Reilly added that his legal advice is that legislation "is the safest legal route in the present circumstances".

Price

The bedroom tax, which the government calls the "spare room subsidy" was expected to cost those affected an average of £20 a week.

On Thursday, Mr Givan told the BBC's Evening Extra programme that he intends to bring legislation to the assembly early next week.

"I'm asking the Speaker to reconvene the business committee, so that, urgently, this can be brought before the assembly on Monday.

"I'll be appealing to MLAs to vote for these regulations in order to protect individuals, because they should not pay the price for what has been happening here in this executive, with Sinn Féin's tactics," the DUP minister added.

It will be a unusual step for a minister to bring cross-cutting legislation to the assembly without first having executive approval.

The executive stopped functioning on Monday after Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, of Sinn Féin, resigned over the DUP's handling of the botched Renewable Heat Incentive scheme.