How will the welfare cuts proposed to people in Ni?

The measures are expected to save more than 5 billion a year in 2029/30, with changes in eligibility for PIP (Personal Independence Payments) that represent the highest proportion of savings.

The Secretary of Labor and Pensions, Liz Kendall, said that the proposals will help support people at work, since the current social security system was “failing in the same people who are supposed to help and stop our country.”

But the professor at the University of Ulster, Dr. Ciara Fitzpatrick said: “We are going to see absolutely levels of poverty.

“And people disabled at this time are barely arriving at the end of the month. Then, all people who lose their right to payment of personal independence will be very affected.”

What are the main changes?

It will be more difficult to qualify for PIP, which financially supports people who suffer from physical or mental health conditions that inhibit daily activities.

The condition must be expected to exceed 12 months and the claimants must be over 16 years old.

The income or savings of a recipient do not affect their amount they can receive, with the maximum weekly payment of £ 184.30.

The Government said it will bring a new eligibility requirement for a minimum score of at least four points with respect to the amount of help that the person needs with everyday tasks (the daily life element of the benefit).

No changes are proposed for the mobility element, which analyzes how much does someone help to move.

The Government confirmed the change “means that people who only obtain the lowest points in each of the daily life activities of PIP will lose their right in the future.”

Westminster will also eliminate the evaluation of work capacity for universal credit by 2028. Instead, people will be evaluated through their eligibility for PIP.

Will Northern Ireland be affected?

Despite being a returned area, Northern Ireland generally reflects Westminster’s decisions on the issue of well -being.

However, it has had mitigations established here for years after the ‘Bedroom Tax’ and the benefit limit.

The Executive has the power to develop its own rules for PIP, but any change made should be financed with the Stormant’s budget.

The Minister of Communities, Gordon Lyons, said that the mitigations for the new changes could cost £ 150 million, but the money is not there to finance them for longer.

Who will be more affected by the cuts?

Dr. Fitzpatrick warned that young people between 18 and 22 are “a personal concern” described in the proposals.

He explained how this demographic group typically is that the care graduates and the victims of trauma who have been inside and outside the care system.

It is also expected that those who suffer from fluctuating states such as muscle skeletal diseases and neurodivergente conditions, such as autism, are among the most affected.

“Young people with vulnerabilities are really in the shooting line here,” he said. “I am particularly concerned with young people who have mental health and young health problems.”

How many people will be affected?

More than 217,000 people received in Northern Ireland PIP from November 2024. Almost a quarter of those who received it lived in the Belfast area.

Estimates point to more than 35,000 people in Northern Ireland losing changes in PIP rules.

Dr. Fitzpatrick warns that the proposal will mean “devastating” affections in Northern Ireland due to “growing levels of poverty.”

“I can’t put it in words strong enough how devastating this is for the economy of Northern Ireland,” said the researcher.

He added that taking into account the current cost of living crisis means “unless they (the plaintiffs) have parents and caregivers who have the media, we will see many families with difficulties.”

The Communities Department has been contacted to comment.