People Before Profit’s Cllr Fiona Ferguson has welcomed approval for £128,500 for the Belfast Citywide Tribunal (BCWT) based in North Belfast (subject to due diligence), following her motion calling for funding for the vital service. Commenting after the decision was ratified at Belfast City Council’s SP&R committee, she said:
“I am delighted that Belfast City Council has agreed to my request for £128,500 for this important welfare advice service which has clawed back millions for our communities, subject to due diligence. Ultimately this service needs core funding and Minister Hargey must step up to the plate to provide that. The impact of welfare reform has crippled communities and the underfunding of an advice service to help navigate the difficult system is salt in the wound.
“The Belfast Citywide Tribunal is denied core funding year after year. That puts the service under threat and workers in fear of losing their jobs with emergency injections of cash.
“The brilliant staff at the BCWT deserve to work without fear that their job might go unfunded next year, and people who need this important advice should be assured that this service is going nowhere. People Before Profit will continue to campaign for core funding for this service.”
ENDS
