AQW 24275/17-22 Written question to the Minister for Communities
To ask the Minister for Communities how much money has been spent on debt and money management options delivered by or funded by her Department, broken down by provider in each year since April 2017.
Asked by Kellie Armstrong MLA on 14 October 2021
- Answered
- Written
- After due date
- Tabled
- 14 October 2021
- Answer due by
- 29 October 2021
- Answered
- 10 November 202127 days after tabling
- Department
- Department for Communities
- Priority question
- No
Answer
My Department has had policy and commissioning responsibility for the provision of debt advice services from 2019. It was previously the remit of The Money Advice Service.
My Department provides annual funding in the region of £6.6m for the delivery of independent, community based advice services, which includes appeals, help with problem debt and money management.
Funding provided from 2019 is detailed in the table below:
| Funding Year | Annual | Delivery | |
| 2019/2020 | Debt Advice services | £1.2m | Delivery of a free, impartial and confidential debt advice services managed by Advice NI as lead provider in partnership with community based advice organisations and NIACRO. |
| 2020/2021 | Debt Advice services | £1.9m (including additional funding received in response to Covid-19 pandemic) | Delivery of free, impartial and confidential debt advice services managed by Advice NI as lead provider in partnership with community based advice organisations and NIACRO. |
| 2020/2021 | Financial Inclusion Fund | £700k | Funding allocated to all eleven Councils to allow community sector organisations to work with people who need help to build financial resilience through access to money management advice and support, low cost/affordable credit, promoting savings. |
| 2021/2022 | Debt Advice services | £1.6m | A multi-channel debt advice service managed by Advice NI as lead provider in partnership with community based advice organisations and NIACRO. |