Ritchie welcomes early benefit calculator success

The recently launched electronic benefits advisor service has attracted over 1,300 page impressions in its first week of official operation.

Launched by the Department for Social Development, the calculator allows people to check whether their benefit entitlement anonymously and in the privacy of their own home. There is no need to contact a benefits office to check.

Social Development Minister, Margaret Ritchie said: “I welcome the news that already, in just over a week, so many people have used this valuable source of information. Previously customers would have had to visit a jobs and benefits office. This free online tool will help enable people to check their status and help them realise that they may be entitled to benefit which they were previously unaware of.”

“The benefits calculator allows people, who may not think they are entitled or have little time, to check what benefits they may be entitled to. This can be done whenever they are free and in the privacy of their home. They can get a free online if indeed they are entitled to carers allowance, child support or other benefits. It can be done by yourself or for a friend or relative.”

The online service can be found at www.nidirect.gov.uk/benefits-adviser

The Minister continued: “In the run up to the festive period it is especially important that we are committed to promoting benefit uptake, to ensure the people of Northern Ireland receive the financial assistance, and services, to which they are entitled,”

Notes to editors:

1. The Benefits Adviser Service is phase one of the Self Service Project (NI). The overarching objective of the project is to work closely with Strategic Partners (Department of Work and Pensions and nidirect) to provide an efficient Self Service capability that is attractive, easy to use and meets customers’ needs.

2. The Benefits Adviser Service provides potential eligibility information for up to 27 benefits and tax credits. These include:

• Attendance Allowance
• Bereavement Allowance
• Bereavement Payment
• Carer's Allowance
• Child Benefit
• Child Tax Credit
• Constant Attendance Allowance
• Disability Living Allowance

3. Page impression - A hit to any file classified as a page. In order to view a web page with embedded images, for example, a browser must retrieve multiple files. The page and its embedded files counts as a single page impression.

SmartSource Data Collection is used which is based on data from the user’s browser, overcomes a lot of the problems of over-inflation from log files analysis and provides more information on how users interact with the site.

4. For photographs and media enquiries, please contact the DSD Information Office on 028 9082 9468 or 07920 832279. Out of office hours please contact Duty Press Officer via pager number 07699 715440 and your call will be returned.