Extra 3,750 on DLA since ’05

There are almost 4,000 more people in Londonderry receiving the Disability Living Allowance (DLA) benefit now than there were in 2005, the Sentinel can reveal.

By Niall Deeney

Published 9th Dec 2014, 15:23 BST

In 2005, there were 12,850 people in the Foyle constituency in receipt of DLA. That compares to a figure of 14,490 for 2014.

The figures show that in East Londonderry in 2014 there were 9,290 people receiving DLA, compared to 7,180. Taken together, that represents a rise of 3,750 extra DLA recipients across the two County Londonderry constituencies in the years since 2005.

In the East Londonderry constituency, meanwhile, there were 2,110 more people in receipt of DLA in 2014 than the equivalent figure for 2005.

The welfare statistics were released by Social Development Minister Mervyn Storey in response to a query from East Antrim MLA Alastair Ross.

Disability Living Allowance is a tax-free benefit for disabled children and adults to help with extra costs arising from the disability.