To ask the Minister for Communities to detail (i) any organisations currently receiving departmental funding to provide advice and assistance with the completion of welfare benefit application forms, including Personal Independence Payment applications; and (ii) whether he intends to increase funding for these services, given the high demand for assistance, and reports from constituency offices that many providers are operating at full capacity.

The Department provides approximately £7.7 million annually to the independent advice and debt sector to deliver free and impartial advice on a range of issues, including welfare benefits.

Funding is allocated and administered through local councils and delivered by a network of community-based organisations. Additional funding is also provided through Welfare Mitigation measures to support welfare advice services, including the Welfare Helpline delivered by Advice NI and specialist legal advice services provided by Law Centre NI.

The Department also delivers the Make the Call Wraparound Service, which aims to ensure that individuals and their families receive all the benefits, support, and services to which they are entitled.

I recognise the high level of demand being experienced by advice providers. However, the Department continues to operate within a constrained financial environment, and, at this stage, I am not in a position to indicate whether additional funding for these services will be available in 2026/27.