Other News In Brief

Woman Convicted Of Benefit Fraud

A woman has been convicted for claiming benefits she was not entitled to at Belfast Magistrates' Court.

Deborah Dunn claimed Income Support totalling £5,854 while failing to declare employment. She was given a five month prison sentence suspended for three years.

Ms Dunn is also required to repay any outstanding money wrongfully obtained to the Department for Communities.

Construction Employment Academy To Be Established In Belfast

A Construction Employment Academy (CEA) is to be established to build a workforce for Belfast.

Translink and Belfast City Council have teamed up to deliver the 'Buy Social' clauses during the construction and engineering phase of the new station and associated infrastructure at Weavers Cross.

The CEA will provide information, training and on-going support to potential new entrants to ensure readiness in nearby communities for these construction jobs.

Through 'Targeted Recruitment and Training clauses', the Weavers Cross project could see up to 100 'Buy Social' opportunities generated within the local construction sector through the build and engineering of the new station and associated engineering contracts.

Chris Conway, Translink Group CEO, said: "Translink is delighted to have agreed this important and innovative partnership with the Belfast City Council. As a key flagship project for the NI Executive, Weavers Cross is an ambitious and exciting scheme with potential to provide many years of employment and training opportunities for local people.

"The formation of a bespoke Construction Employment Academy will ensure we can support potential new entrants into the many opportunities around skills, training, work placement and apprenticeships – its aim is to simply provide real training for real construction jobs in Belfast.

"We have had much engagement with the surrounding communities in relation to the Buy Social scheme and feedback has been very positive. We are looking forward to building on this as we progress this important project for Belfast and Northern Ireland."

Call For ESA Underpayments To Be Addressed

SDLP Deputy Leader Nichola Mallon MLA has written to the Department of Communities following a damning Audit Office report into ESA underpayments.

The North Belfast MLA has asked for a breakdown of the number of people in Northern Ireland affected by underpayments and details of how and when the department will repay those who have lost out.

She said: "The findings of the Audit Office investigation into Employment and Support Allowance underpayments is a damning indictment of the government. It has estimated that 70,000 people were underpaid this crucial support allowance over the last seven years.

"The report determines that the average underpayment was £5000 and that approximately 20,000 people were left over £11,000 short over the seven years. That is incredible. How many people have been forced further into poverty as a result of this error? How much damage has been done to the health of claimants as a result of the intense pressure of struggling to make ends meet?

"I have written to the Department for Communities Permanent Secretary today asking for a full evaluation of the scale of these errors in Northern Ireland and a timescale for repayment."

(CD/MH)