Debate contribution: Integrated Advice Partnership Fund

Debate contribution by Mr Gordon Lyons on 5 November 2024.

MLA

Mr Gordon Lyons

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

5 November 2024

Type

Debate contribution (made as a minister)

Business

Ministerial Statement

Heading

Integrated Advice Partnership Fund

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 4631904

Read the official Assembly record

Text

Good luck with that, Madam Principal Deputy Speaker. I will make a statement on additional funding for debt advice in Northern Ireland. Problem debt can have a devastating impact on individuals and families. It is harmful to physical and mental health and can take its toll on relationships with family and friends. About 12% of adults in Northern Ireland are in need of debt advice. Only a small proportion of those people receive the advice that they need, and they often seek it too late, due to the shame and stigma that are often associated with it. It is important that we do all that we can to highlight the importance of seeking help and to ensure that our debt advice services reach as many people in need as possible. As Minister for Communities, I want to make sure that support gets to the right people at the right time. Debt advice in Northern Ireland is funded by a Treasury levy on the financial services industry that is ring-fenced for the provision of free debt advice services. His Majesty's Treasury allocated £2·08 million to fund debt advice services in Northern Ireland in 2024-25. The funding, allocated annually by Treasury, is calculated using a formula based on population and levels of need for debt advice as calculated by the Money and Pensions Service. The Northern Ireland debt advice service is managed by Advice NI via a grant agreement that is worth £1·53 million in 2024-25. The service provides regional delivery. Provision for local, community-based debt advice is sub-granted to local front-line advice organisations across the 11 council areas and regional support. Alongside that funding initiative, the Department recently increased the number of debt advisers working for the Northern Ireland debt advice service from 30 to 34·5 in recognition of the increasingly complex debt landscape. Due to an additional HMRC allocation and a historical miscalculation of the debt levy, Northern Ireland has an additional £1·3 million to spend between now and March 2026. Today, I am pleased to announce that I will use that money to try something new. I do not believe that the Executive or my Department have all the answers or that we have a monopoly on expertise in this area. Local government has a role to play in the provision of some of the services. Many local organisations already play an important role in the area and can help us to deliver the services that people need.

Therefore, I am pleased to announce the launch of the integrated advice partnership fund.

The new fund will complement my Department's existing £6·6 million of annual regional and local advice funding, which goes out to a range of partners, including Advice NI and community advice providers. The £1·3 million fund will be delivered in partnership with all 11 councils in Northern Ireland to improve the uptake of free, high-quality debt advice in accessible locations. It will support early intervention and the development of local solutions. Our debt landscape is evolving, and advice providers are dealing with increasingly complex cases. Local organisations that are close to the communities that they serve are best placed to meet need. Therefore, I will provide the funding to local councils, who will work with community advice providers and community organisations, such as Christians Against Poverty. Councils are at the coalface of the community and do a fantastic job of providing front-line services to our people. Therefore, I have allowed each council flexibility in how it chooses to use the funding within the objectives that will be set by my Department. Projects will be required to demonstrate partnership working and the delivery of debt advice in community settings, including face-to-face provision. By enabling organisations to work together, we can draw on their combined expertise to deliver tailored, responsive and targeted debt advice. The new fund reflects my commitment to using every pound to its best effect. I want to make support available to people in every corner of Northern Ireland. By working closely with councils and community organisations, we can ensure that those who face financial difficulties are able to access the support that they need when they need it. The integrated advice partnership fund is an opportunity to ensure that debt advice is more accessible and effective than ever before. It represents another step in our efforts to provide meaningful and much-needed support to those faced with debt. I look forward to seeing the projects that will be delivered by the fund; testing different ways of working; informing future advice delivery; and, most importantly, making a difference in the lives of people right across Northern Ireland.

Always negativity from Mr McCrossan. First, it is a good news story because additional funding is going to be made available. Secondly, it is time-limited, because it is mostly due to a miscalculation of funds that the extra resource is available. However, I am frequently told by Members about the importance of regional balance and of making sure that we spread our resources right across Northern Ireland. Therefore, I am trying something new. I am using the opportunity from the miscalculation and the additional funding that has become available to tie in the important work of councils, but, even more importantly, the work of those other organisations that are already working at the coalface. We have an opportunity to test whether there are additional models for the future. I believe that it is good news and something to be welcomed. It should not be taken as a slight on anyone else. I have always said that the Department needs to try new and innovative ways of making a difference. I believe that we will do that through the allocation of the funding in this way.

Yes. As the Member will expect, I spoke to councils to make sure that there was an agreement in principle before we made the announcement, and that certainly is the case. There is a willingness to do it. One of the reasons that we are doing it is to get evidence on whether the model can be taken forward in the future. Of course, we will analyse it and see what is able to be delivered. It is important that we take this opportunity to look at the other providers that are out there. For me, it is really important that we get into all parts of Northern Ireland and right into the heart of the community — health, education and church settings — to ensure that debt advice is available in the local areas that people find themselves in, because we have a problem with the uptake of that advice. That is why I am getting those providers involved. Of course, we will want to test the model and make sure that the funding is being spent well.

I am grateful to the Member for acknowledging that this is about getting into every part of Northern Ireland and bringing the advice to where people are. That is why it is so important to test the model to see whether it could happen in the future. Obviously, we only have the funding until 2026, but it is useful for us to consider whether such a model would be worth taking forward when that time comes and when we can re-evaluate the resources that we have. On resources, I expected the Member to ask about her constituency because she always asks about it. I am happy to announce that Fermanagh and Omagh District Council will receive £86,802·84 and that Mid Ulster District will receive £105,828·12.

The calculation came about following an analysis of population, deprivation and adults in need. That is how the funding formula was reached. Forty per cent is based on population, 40% is based on deprivation, using the income deprivation model, and the remaining 20% is based on the results of the adults in need of debt advice survey. That is why we have different calculations for different councils. There will, of course, be criteria for the fund. There will be a requirement to deliver holistic advice in community-accessible settings such as health centres, education establishments or churches. The organisations will need to be part of a collaborative partnership and demonstrate improved outcomes for the people who access the service. They will need to include an aspect of face-to-face or in-person delivery, which is very important, and be able to share learning to inform future approaches. The projects also need to be delivered by 31 March 2026.

I have not had any direct conversations with the Minister of Education on that, but discussions take place at official level. I am a big supporter of making sure that our young people are financially literate to make sure that they are aware of the perils of debt and have an understanding of spending. I am more than happy to continue that ongoing collaboration. If an intervention is needed at ministerial level between Minister Givan and me, I will be happy to do that.

I will remember as many as I can. The whole point of doing this is that it will not be a one-size-fits-all approach. If it were, we would not need to send the service out to local councils or bring in their support. The whole point is that the service can be flexible, because the needs in, for example, Mid and East Antrim might be very different from those in Fermanagh, Omagh, Belfast or wherever. Flexibility will be built in. Councils can come up with ideas and proposals, and, as long as they fit in with what I outlined to Sian Mulholland, they will be acceptable. We want to work with people on this to make sure that we make the most difference in people's lives. That will be different depending on the area. In the Member's constituency, I can confirm that the sum will be £114,548.04.

That is another question that I anticipated. The funding is broken down as it is simply because I do not think that population alone takes account of the need that exists. The Member will understand that with regard to his constituency. Population is obviously important, but we have also taken into consideration deprivation and the number of adults who were estimated to be in need of debt advice. I am happy to confirm that the sum that will be allocated to Belfast City Council for the service is £248,253.48.

I am certainly happy to see what the councils propose and what we can do centrally on promotion. Some of that can be done cheaply on our social media channels, for example. There is an expectation that part of the funding will be used to promote the services that are available. That is another reason why it is good that we are bringing in the councils, which will have their own reach, and the other organisations that are already doing some of the work. They will be in a position to promote it as well. I hope that Members will also take the opportunity to promote the services that are available. Unfortunately, people can often bury their heads in the sand on this issue. They can try to ignore the problems, but we need to tackle them head on and get in there early to help people, because that is how we will make a difference in the longer term. I encourage Members to do that with all our constituents.

I agree with what, I think, is the Member's point, which is that we do not want people to be in conflict or competition with one another. The measures are intended to be complementary, and I hope that that continues. Certainly, the funding that is available currently for those other organisations will continue to be there. However, I thought that this was a useful way to use the resources and make sure that alternatives are available here, as well as, perhaps, reaching further than those currently established. That is what, I hope, will happen.

Absolutely. I have seen at first hand the work of Christians Against Poverty in my constituency, and I am sure that others have had similar experiences. I was delighted to be at a celebration event recently in my constituency. Christians Against Poverty celebrated 10 years of helping people. If I may, I will take a moment to give a shout-out to some people in my constituency. Wendy and Sharon in Christians Against Poverty in Larne do a fantastic job of intervening, helping and changing lives. I do not say that lightly. The people who are affected find themselves at the lowest point in their life, and we have fantastic organisations that come in, help and truly transform the situation in which those people have found themselves. It is the case that we should want to support and link up with those who have a track record of making a real difference. That is why it is so important that the councils can partner with those fantastic organisations and, as I say, make a difference to people's lives.

Councils will receive an allocation for the fund, and then it will be up to the councils to partner with the organisations that can make a difference. Some of those organisations already do fantastic work, and the link-up between those can happen. As long as they are able to deliver that holistic advice in community-accessible settings, demonstrate improved outcomes for people, have face-to-face and in-person delivery and share learning to inform future approaches, they can get that support. The funding should not be taken as resource to help them carry out the work that they do currently; it should be additional support, but, obviously, the additional funding can help, in the round, with what they are trying to achieve. It will be of real benefit. We have mentioned a couple of organisations, but there are many others. I am not being exhaustive in what I say, because we have many organisations. Some of them operate in only one part of Northern Ireland, perhaps. That is why it is so important that we are putting this out to the councils for them to partner. There may not be organisations that can deliver on behalf of everybody in Northern Ireland, but there are organisations that can deliver in specific areas. This is a good, localised way of making sure that we can support those who are in need.

Yes, I am happy to answer those questions. First, Newry, Mourne and Down District Council will receive £134,498·16, which will go a long way towards helping those who are in need in the area. The money will be administered by councils. I am trying to give them as much flexibility as possible. I just need to ensure that they meet what will be in the memorandum of understanding and adhere to the key points that I outlined in answers to other questions. I am not seeking to tie anybody's hands. I get that there will be unique situations in each council area, and I want to make the process as flexible as possible. The ultimate aim is not just to get the money out and to get it to organisations but to help people, and that will be done in different ways in different areas, so I want to make sure that the process is as flexible as possible.

It is disappointing to hear the approach that the Member has taken when we have a good news story here. I note that she missed the previous good news story. When I announced 270 jobs in her constituency, she did not turn up to hear the announcement, but I am glad that I was able to make it. I am also glad that I will be able to deliver further support for her constituency. The Member asked about how we tackle the issues. I agree with her that we need to tackle paramilitary activity and paramilitarism. We need to make sure that people transition. We need to make sure that there is a route for them to do that. I take the Pledge of Office seriously. It states that I should do everything that I can to support those who want to transition away from paramilitary activity. There is, of course, a role for the PSNI, and we need to take that dual approach, whereby we take action against paramilitary activity but also encourage those who are prepared to transition to move away from paramilitarism. There is a bigger question here, is there not? Ultimately, it comes down to how we deal with deprivation and poverty in our society. That is why I will bring an anti-poverty strategy to the Executive in January. That was a commitment in the Northern Ireland Act 1998. No Minister has delivered on it yet, but, like with so many other things, I am delivering it on behalf of people in Northern Ireland and look forward to bringing forward a strategy that will prevent people from falling into poverty, help those who find themselves in poverty and make sure that there is a route for people to exit poverty. All of that is necessary, but, right now, I am helping those who find themselves in debt by trying something innovative to make sure that funding gets out to all parts of Northern Ireland, including the Foyle constituency.

2,892 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:30 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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