17 November 2025
SDLP Communities Spokesperson Mark H Durkan MLA has written to the Ministers for Health, Communities and of Finance calling for co-operation to ensure health staff in receipt of Universal Credit can benefit from the backdated NHS pay award 2025/26.
It follows a commitment from the Finance Minister, John O’Dowd MLA in the Assembly in response to a question from Mr Durkan to work with Executive Ministers to ensure some of the lowest health workers are not penalised.
The Foyle MLA said:
“All our hardworking public servants should be able to look forward to their well-deserved and rightfully earned money. There’s nothing ‘fair or just’ about a backdated lump sum payment for these staff within the current welfare system.
“It will essentially wipe out their next Universal Credit award for one, maybe two months and increase their tax, national insurance and pension contributions. How is this acceptable? Failure to implement a phased payment approach will adversely impact staff who are single parents, specifically women. Is this really how we repay our hardest working and lowest paid staff?
“No worker should be penalised for being poor. I’ve warned of these implications during previous pay rises both for health and social care staff and school support staff. Warnings went unheeded. The Executive must ensure full cooperation between Departments to prevent this injustice.
“Our health workers deserve fairness, not financial penalties disguised as pay progress.”