Department of Justice 2022-25 Draft Budget - Briefing Paper 18 Jan Consequences

Sep 15, 2026

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Briefing correspondence from the Office of the Justice Minister provides supplementary information following a 20 January 2022 briefing to the Committee for Justice. It explains DoJ administration responsibilities and reimbursement arrangements for the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme, estimates three-year administration and expected payment levels, and discusses how funding reductions affect Forensic Science NI. It also outlines methodology for prioritising capital projects, agency staffing reduction indications, and approaches to statutory and non-statutory budget reprioritisation for the 2022-25 draft budget period.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLetters

FormatPDF

Pages32

Reading Time11 min

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Department of Justice 2022-25 Draft Budget

Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme (TPDPS)

Estimated administration and payment requirements

Forensic Science NI funding reduction consequences

Budget impact (2022-23 to 2024-25)

Prioritisation of capital projects

Staffing reduction across agencies or NDPBs

Statutory functions and reprioritisation of non-statutory functions

FROM THE OFFICE OF THE JUSTICE MINISTER Minister’s Office Block B, Castle Buildings Stormont Estate Ballymiscaw Belfast BT4 3SG Christine Darrah Clerk to the Committee for Justice Room 242 Parliament Buildings Ballymiscaw Stormont Belfast BT4 3XX 9 February 2022 Dear Christine DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE 2022-25 DRAFT BUDGET The Justice Committee has requested further information following a briefing by Departmental officials on 20 January 2022. Responses to the information requested by the Committee are as follows: Estimated funding requirements in respect of the aspects of the Troubles Permanent Disablement Pension Scheme for which the Department is responsible and clarification. The Department of Justice (DoJ) is responsible for putting in place the necessary administration arrangements to support the Victims’ Payments Board in delivery of the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme (TPDPS) . All costs incurred by DoJ relating to the TPDPS (administration costs and payments from the scheme) will be reimbursed by The Executive Office (TEO) in line with the underpinning Regulations for the scheme. There is no direct impact on the DoJ’s budget and so there isn’t a requirement to make any provision in the DoJ’s allocation within the Draft Budget for the Working in partnership to create a fair, just and safe community where we respect the law and each other. FROM THE OFFICE OF THE JUSTICE MINISTER TPDPS. TEO is responsible for securing the necessary resources for the scheme from the Department of Finance (DoF) through the normal budget process. The estimated administration costs that DoJ is anticipated to incur over the three years of the budget period is £16 .7m in 2022-23, £17 .4m in 2023-24, and £16 .7m in 2024-25. That includes all costs for staffing, accommodation, Board members fees, a disablement assessment service, IT, publicity and other office running costs. The administration costs are estimates based on requirements to administer the scheme inline with the forecast of the number of applications from victims. These costs will continue to be kept under review as progress is made with implementation of the scheme to ensure that the scheme meets the needs of victims. It has been previously estimated in a report produced by The Government Actuary’s Department that payments over the next three years of the scheme will be £72m, £73m, and £73m respectively. The overall level of payment will depend on a range of factors including the number of applications considered by the Victims’ Payments Board, the number deemed eligible for an award, the level of permanent disablement of applicants, whether an individual opts for a lump sum payment or monthly payments etc. The estimates will therefore be kept under review by TEO as increased numbers of applications are advanced through the scheme. How the 18% reduction in funding for Forensic Science NI referred to in the Consequences Document has been calculated? The resource pressures that Forensic Science NI (FSNI) would face from 2022-25 if a 2% reduction is implemented are comprised of two elements – funding for posts previously agreed by Police Service of NI (PSNI) and DoJ which has not been baselined and also the impact of a flat line 2% budget reduction across the next three years. The most significant element of the pressure will come if PSNI and DoJ fail to provide funding for the posts which were agreed and funded in the 2021-22 year and to which staff have already been recruited. Working in partnership to create a fair, just and safe community where we respect the law and each other. FROM THE OFFICE OF THE JUSTICE MINISTER Budget impact | | 2022-23 | 2023-24 | 2024-25 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | | £000 | £000 | £000 | | PSNI bid (not included in baseline) | 630 | 915 | 1,399 | | DoJ bid (not included in baseline) | 514 | 661 | 672 | | Potential total FSNI cuts (2%) | 259 | 259 | 259 | | | | | | | Potential tota

FAQs

What is DoJ responsible for under the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme (TPDPS)?

DoJ is responsible for putting in place the necessary administration arrangements to support the Victims’ Payments Board delivering the TPDPS. Costs incurred by DoJ relating to the scheme are reimbursed by the Executive Office (TEO) under the scheme regulations.

How are the estimated DoJ administration costs for 2022-25 calculated?

The administration costs are estimates covering staffing, accommodation, board fees, a disablement assessment service, IT, publicity, and running costs. They are based on requirements to administer the scheme in line with the forecast number of applications, and remain under review during implementation.

How does a 2% reduction affect Forensic Science NI, and what does the budget impact table show?

The resource pressure combines funding for previously agreed posts not baselined plus the effect of a flat 2% budget reduction over the three-year period. The combined impact is shown as reductions of 11% in year 1, 14% in year 2, and 18% in year 3.

Sep 15, 2026

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