NEWS

Thousands of families across Northern Ireland risk losing vital weekly Child Benefit payments this summer unless they take action before a key deadline, with HM Revenue and Customs urging parents of teenagers approaching 16 to confirm their child’s next steps in education or training. Child Benefit payments automatically stop on 31 August on or after a child’s 16th birthday unless parents actively extend their claim — a requirement that affects households whose teenagers are

Families across the UK are being financially penalised when teenagers choose apprenticeships over staying in school, with some households losing more than £330 per week due to the way the benefits system operates, a new report has found. The findings, published by the Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC), highlight a stark imbalance in post-16 education choices, where families can be left worse off if a young person enters work-based training instead of remaining in full

More than 300,000 households across Northern Ireland are set to receive targeted support with soaring home heating costs after Communities Minister Gordon Lyons secured Executive backing for a £36.4 million package aimed at easing pressure on families reliant on oil. Under the scheme, eligible households will be able to apply for a £100 prepaid card that can be used directly with heating oil suppliers, offering immediate help at a time when oil prices have surged dramatical

More than 6.9 million families across the UK are set to receive a boost in Child Benefit payments from next week, with HM Revenue and Customs urging parents in Ballymena and beyond to make sure they are claiming everything they are entitled to. From 6 April, payments will increase to £27.05 per week for the eldest or only child — equivalent to £1,406.60 a year — while each additional child will bring £17.90 per week, or £930.80 annually. The increase means families will recei

North Antrim Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland Families across North Antrim could face deeper hardship if welfare spending is reduced to boost defence funding, according to Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland. The party’s poverty spokesperson said calls from senior DUP figures to divert money away from welfare budgets were “catastrophically out of touch” with the pressures facing households during the ongoing energy crisis. Her comments follow remarks from DUP leaders Arlene Foster and

Northern Ireland is set to introduce statutory miscarriage leave and pay from April 2026, marking a significant extension of workplace protections for parents experiencing pregnancy loss. Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has published the Department for the Economy’s consultation response on introducing statutory miscarriage leave and pay, confirming the creation of new legal rights for employees affected by miscarriage or other forms of pregnancy loss at any stage. The

South Antrim MP Robin Swann Ahead of Wednesday’s Autumn Budget, Robin Swann MP has issued a stark warning over the proposed Family Farm Tax, describing it as a “deeply damaging and utterly unacceptable threat” to family-run farms across Northern Ireland. The Ulster Unionist MP stressed the importance of protecting these farms, which he described as integral to both rural communities and local economies. “As I have made clear time and time again, the Family Farm Tax is a dire

Alliance MLA for North Antrim, Sian Mulholland, has welcomed the restoration of automatic entitlement to free NHS sight tests, dental treatment, and travel costs for eligible Universal Credit recipients in Northern Ireland. The change, which comes into effect on 1 December 2025, will benefit over 195,000 people, including thousands of families across North Antrim. Ms Mulholland , who has consistently campaigned for the reinstatement of automatic support, said: “From the momen

More than 195,000 Universal Credit recipients in Northern Ireland will gain automatic entitlement to free NHS sight tests, dental treatment, and travel cost support from 1 December, following a key legislative update announced by Health Minister Mike Nesbitt. The move brings Northern Ireland into line with the rest of the UK, after years of disparity in how Universal Credit recipients accessed the Help with Health Costs (HwHC) scheme. The HwHC scheme supports people on low in

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons pictured with Age NI Head of Advice and Advocacy Services Brenda Kearns (left) and Director of Pensions, Disability, and Carers at Department for Communities NI Leonora McLaughlin. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has encouraged people over the State Pension age to check whether they qualify for Pension Credit, warning that many older residents could be missing out on vital financial help during the ongoing cost of living pressures. Pension

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons is pictured with Gary Hazlett and Carla Marriott, K9tergarten and Caorlan McAllister from Halfway House...

With GCSE results being released this week, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding parents of teenagers to extend their Child Benefit...

More than 93,000 children and young people across Northern Ireland are currently receiving free school meals — is your child one of them?...

Low-income families across Northern Ireland will receive enhanced support from the 2025/26 academic year, as Education Minister Paul...

South Antrim MP Robin Swann Ulster Unionist Party MP Robin Swann has firmly opposed the Government’s Universal Credit and Personal...

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has confirmed that pensioners across Northern Ireland will receive...

Northern Ireland’s Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has welcomed a major policy reversal by the UK government which reinstates broader...

Parents and guardians of teenagers aged 16 to 19 are being reminded by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to extend their Child Benefit claims...

Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons Northern Ireland’s Communities Minister, Gordon Lyons, has issued a robust call for the full...

Families who claim Child Benefit will see an increase in their payment next week, says HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC). From 7 April 2025,...