Over 70,000 people on benefits in Northern Ireland are having money deducted from their welfare payments to cover unpaid debts, councillors have been told.
A Stormont reply to a question posed by Belfast City Council stated that an eye-popping 73,803 benefit claimants had deductions taken from benefits including Universal Credit during August 2022, with the average deduction of £53.01.
Benefits debt repayments are imposed when an individual is in rent or utility arrears and where there is a risk of eviction, or their energy or utility supply being disconnected if payment is not made.
