Executive Daily Update: Initiatives to deal with Coronavirus (13 May 2020)

Northern Ireland Executive ministers and their officials have over the past 24 hours been involved in a number of initiatives and critical decisions relating to the Coronavirus emergency.

Minister suspends recovery of benefit overpayments and loans

Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey has said that her Department will be pausing the recovery of benefit overpayments and loan repayments from a number of Social Security benefits for three months, in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Departmental update on Covid-19 critical care surge plan

As part of the preparations for the first wave, our priority was to ensure that the health and care system had sufficient capacity to deal with the rising numbers of Covid-19 patients.

Minister underlines extensive programme to support care homes

Health Minister Robin Swann today spelt out a wide range of measures being deployed in Northern Ireland to protect care home residents during the Covid-19 pandemic.

2020/2021 Agricultural Pay Rates

The Agricultural Wages Board for Northern Ireland (AWB) has confirmed changes to pay for agricultural workers. At a meeting of the AWB on Friday 13 March 2020, the Board agreed the rates to become effective from 1 April 2020. The rates are: