Boyle criticises Minister for refusing request for full EQIA on plans to downgrade Strabane Social Security Office

Sinn Féin West Tyrone MLA Michaela Boyle has criticised the negative response of  DSD Minister Nelson Mc Causland to her request for the roll out of the Social Security Agency’s Customer First plans in the Western District, of which plans to downgrade its Strabane office is part, to be suspended until an Equality Impact Assessment had been carried out on its effect upon staff and customers alike.

Speaking about the request which had been made in the form of a Priority Written Question the local MLA said,

“The Customer First plans for Strabane will involve the transfer of up to 37 posts from the Urney Road Office to Derry or Omagh and given that it will be a disproportionate number of   female staff who will be impacted by these transfer plans, there is a clear need for a full Equality Impact Assessment, particularly given the fact that many of these low paid staff will be out as much as £200 extra a month due to working Tax Credit changes and additional child care and travel costs.

“In rejecting my request, the Minister has alluded to the outcome of an evaluation of the Social Security Agency’s Customer First Pilot in what was formally known as the North District which he says concluded that from an Equality perspective, there were no differential impacts for any of the Section 75 groupings for either customers or staff as a result of the new customer service delivery arrangements.

“My understanding is that no full Equality Impact Assessment was carried out as part of the Evaluation of the North District Pilot but rather an Equality Screening Exercise which is a lot less comprehensive.  The Minister’s contention, based on the Evaluation findings’ that the new model of provision had “proven to deliver significant service improvements” is also open to question especially given the fact that under this Model it is planned to only provide a skeleton front office only service in Strabane-one of the areas of highest multi-deprivation in the six counties.

“So I will be continuing to press the case for a full Equality Impact Assessment as it is clear that there is an effort to steam-roll this Model through without due consideration being given to the range of negative impacts it will have.