To ask the Minister for Social Development to detail the measures his Department is taking to ensure that additional strains are not placed on people with a disability through the Severe Disability Premium which will be introduced by Universal Credit.

Currently there are seven different components within the system of benefits and Tax Credits associated with disability. These are paid at different rates, have different qualifying conditions and are for different purposes. A claimant qualifies for the Severe Disability Premium if they are in receipt of a qualifying benefit and satisfy certain conditions.

The current proposals for the introduction of Universal Credit will see the reform system of multiple disability premiums and additions in Tax Credits and create a much simpler and fairer system for claimants that will ensure support is targeted to those that need it most.

Disabled claimants will be supported through two elements under Universal Credit, the limited capability for work element and for more severely disabled claimants, the limited capability for work and work related activity element. Furthermore my Department aims to raise the level of support for those who have been assessed as having a limited capability for work and work related activity that is currently provided to reflect the extra costs of longer durations on benefit.

Under Universal Credit a disabled person will also be eligible for a higher earnings disregard when working out their Universal Credit payment to reflect a claimant's personal circumstances.

Those claimants who are subject to migration onto Universal Credit will also be eligible for Transitional Protection. Transitional Protection is a commitment to ensure that no one moving directly onto Universal Credit will experience a reduction in the benefit they are receiving, where their circumstances remain the same at the point of change. This will also apply to those claimants receiving the Severe Disability Premium.

The Welfare Reform Bill also includes provision to exclude some groups of claimants from the benefit cap - it is intended that this will include households in receipt of the limited capability for work and work related activity element of Universal Credit. This is in recognition of the additional financial costs that can arise from disability.

A package of measures has been designed to ameliorate the worst impacts of Welfare Reform in Northern Ireland. My predecessor listened to the concerns expressed by different groups in Northern Ireland about the impact of welfare reform and the package of measures was developed with the Department for Work and Pensions and HM Treasury. This package is the envy of both Scotland and Wales.