170 new jobs created as part of benefits contract

One hundred and seventy new jobs are coming to Northern Ireland.

The posts will assist in the delivery of Universal Credit and the Benefit Cap across Great Britain.

150 of the vacancies will be filled in Ballymena - while the remaining 20 posts will go to Londonderry.

The Lisahally Service Centre in Derry currently already provides services to the Department for Work and Pensions.

The Communities Minister Paul Givan secured the 8 million contract from the DWP and made the announcement following a meeting in London on Monday.

While a number of the posts will be initially filled through internal Northern Ireland Civil Service redeployment, it is expected a total of 150 posts will be filled through external recruitment and recruitment agencies.

Minister Givan said: “This new contract is the second to be secured by my department this year on behalf of DWP and underscores their confidence in the quality skills and service our staff in Northern Ireland consistently deliver. 

"Providing services to Great Britain on behalf of DWP is now a core part of my department’s business.  I am confident the new contract will provide excellent opportunities at the sites in Ballymena and Londonderry.”

The average salary will be in excess of £19,000 for the 170 posts which will be mainly administrative grades. 

They are expected to be fully operational by the autumn 2017. 

Welcoming the announcement the MP for North Antrim Ian Paisley said: "I am delighted by this commitment to extend public service jobs to Ballymena, securing 150 new positions in my constituency. 

"As MP I have been asking Government to think North Antrim when it comes to job creation and this is a tangible example of the practical outworking of that call." he added

This is the second major contract to be secured by the Department for Communities, with an announcement earlier this year of 280 jobs to provide additional services to DWP commencing in 2017.

One hundred additional staff have been recruited to date.