Department For Social Development - Responsibilities

Responsibilities

The department's main responsibilities are as follows:

• housing
• community and voluntary sector development
• urban regeneration
• social legislation

Northern Ireland has parity with Great Britain in three areas:

• social security
• child support
• pensions

Policy in these areas is technically devolved but, in practice, follows policy set by Parliament to provide consistency across the United Kingdom.

The department is also responsible for the following public bodies:

• Northern Ireland Housing Executive
• Social Security Agency
• Ilex Urban Regeneration Company

(jointly with the Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister)

• Charity Commission for Northern Ireland
• Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board for Northern Ireland
• Rent Assessment Panel
• Vaughan Charity

It also oversees the Office of the Social Fund Commissioner.

DSD’s main counterparts in the United Kingdom Government are:

• the Department for Work and Pensions (on social security);
• the Department for Communities and Local Government (on housing and urban regeneration);
• the Cabinet Office (on the voluntary and community sector);
• the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (on gambling and alcohol licensing).

In the Irish Government, its main counterparts are:

• the Department of Social Protection;
• the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (on housing);
• the Department of Justice and Equality (on gambling).