Changes to eligibility criteria for help with health costs – Northern Ireland

The LITRG welcomes the opportunity to discuss the eligibility criteria for help with health costs following the introduction of universal credit in Northern Ireland. While we welcome the Department for Health’s confirmation that they do not intend to restrict access to passported benefits, we are disappointed that each Department has established their own earnings threshold in isolation, without deeper consideration of the intricacies of universal credit or thought about a cohesive passporting regime that addresses concerns raised by the Social Security Advisory Committee in 2012.