Dept. Social Development
Northern Ireland Department of Social Development.
The Department of Social Development employs about 7,000 people, the vast majority of whom are located in the Social Security Agency.
The Social Security Agency is under the auspices of the Department. The Department is responsible for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland. It is the oversight of the Office of Social Fund Commissioner.
The key strategic priorities of the Department are to afford access to decent, affordable, sustainable homes and housing support services. Meet the needs of the most vulnerable by tackling disadvantage through a transformed social welfare system, provision of focus supporting the most disadvantaged areas, and encouraging social responsibility. Bringing divided communities together by creating urban centers that are sustainable, welcoming, and accessible to live, work, and relax.
The Department’s management board comprises the Department secretary, deputy secretaries for resources and social policy group, urban generation, and the community development group, and the Social Security Agency chief executive. There are two independent members.
The board has established a Departmental audit and risk assurance committee, fraud subcommittee, and procurement subcommittee.
The Social Security Agency is responsible for:
- Accessing and paying social security benefits accurately.
- Giving advice and information about benefits.
- Supporting people by helping them move closer to work.
- Processing benefit reviews and appeals.
- Preventing and detecting fraud, prosecuting offenders, and recovering incorrectly paid benefits.
- Recovering benefits which have been paid in compensation cases.
- Accessing personal circumstances or persons apply for legal aid, provide services to #[2:13] written on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
The Department delivers services to three districts within London.
The housing division of the Department has overall control and responsibility for preparing and directing social housing policy in Northern Ireland. It works closely with the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and registered housing associations to implement social housing policy. It has regulatory powers over the housing executive enhancing associations.
The Department has oversight of the private rented sector under the Private Tenancy’s Northern Ireland Order 2006. It appoints the board of the housing executive and writ assessment panels. Takes the lead in promoting social inclusion, reviews difficulties faced by homeless persons, takes the lead in tackling fuel poverty, including in particular the Warm Homes Scheme.
The resources available for housing are in the region of £620 million in 2013-’14 by way of a combination of rental income, capital receipts, and contributions from the government. Approximately £500 million is allocated to the housing executive and over £100 million to housing associations. Additional finance is leveraged by housing associations in the ownership housing association.
The urban regeneration section is responsible for the establishment of policy and strategy in the area of urban regeneration. It is responsible for the implementation of programs reflecting targeted social needs by addressing social, economic, and physical regeneration of cities, towns, and villages in Northern Ireland.
Main areas of responsibility are managed by the Neighborhood Renewal Program through neighborhood partnerships established in neighborhood renewal areas. They are a vehicle for local planning and implementation. Manage regeneration strategy for renewal and development of the most deprived areas. This includes creating safe, healthy communities, improving access to employment, raising educational achievement, and encouraging investment and physical regeneration.
The Northwest Development Office plays a role in driving the regeneration and development of #[4:46] and the Northwest in an integrated and comprehensive way. This includes strategic physical and economic social development, individual and community well-being, and the implementation of the Department’s urban regeneration and community development policies and programs.
The Child Maintenance Service promotes and secures effective child maintenance arrangements. Its functions are to promote the financial responsibility of parents for their children, provide information and support about different children, maintenance options available to parents, and providing an efficient statutory maintenance service with effective enforcement powers.
The Department publishes online “The law relating to social security” and “The law relating to child support relating to housing.”
The law relating to child support, it publishes the Northern Ireland Digestive Case Law, which is the compendium of decisions given by the Social Security and Child Support Commissioners or Benefit Child Support and Compensation Recovery Appeals.
The Department seeks to strengthen its relationships between government and voluntary and community organizations. It seeks to create an environment in which enterprising, sustainable voluntary, and community sectors can try to tackle this advantage.
The Department provides administrative support to a number of independent tribunals, including the Social Security Agency, Child Maintenance and Enforcement Division, Northern Ireland Housing Executive, Land and Property Services.
The appeals services are based in Belfast and Ulster. Appeals are heard at 18 locations.”