SINN FÉIN VICE-PRESIDENT and Northern Ireland First Minister Michelle O’Neill has described UK Government benefits cuts as “callous” and “morally reprehensible”. 

Northern Ireland’s devolved government is set to work out the implications for the region of a major shake-up of the benefits system.

O’Neill has said she has concerns over the measures, which include legislating to tighten the eligibility for the personal independence payment (Pip) and plans to voice her opposition to British prime minister Keir Starmer. 

Pip is a payment to help those with a long-term physical or mental health condition or disability with extra living costs.

The payment is also made to those who have “difficulty doing certain everyday tasks or getting around”.

In a post on social media yesterday, O’Neill said the Stormont Executive “must stand united in opposing these devastating cuts”, adding: “I will make my opposition unequivocally clear to British Prime Minister Keir Starmer”.

The British Government’s decision to slash welfare support for the sick and disabled is callous, morally reprehensible, and an attack on the most vulnerable members of our society.

These latest cuts are yet another stark reminder of Westminster's utter disregard for families and…

— Michelle O’Neill (@moneillsf) March 18, 2025

Communities Minister and DUP MLA Gordon Lyons said he also has concerns but emphasised Stormont does not have the resources to mitigate the changes.

Stormont currently runs a number of mitigations against some previous benefit system changes such as the bedroom tax and benefit cap.

File image of British prime minister Keir Starmer leaving No. 10 Downing Street Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Speaking to media at Parliament Buildings yesterday, Lyons said mitigations for the new changes could cost £150 million (€178m).

“We will take time to analyse this, but we do have to keep in mind as well, we’re talking about significant sums of money,” he said.

“If these are savings of around £5 billion for the UK as a whole, on population basis alone, we’re talking over £150 million for Northern Ireland.

“Those aren’t resources that we have at our disposal so we will continue to engage with the government to see which of these changes will apply in Northern Ireland and continue to make the case to make sure that those in need are protected at the same time as protecting tax payers as well.”

He added: “First of all we need to work out exactly what the implications are for Northern Ireland, but I will be very upfront and recognise the potential cost of these changes is significant and those aren’t resources that we have.

Speaking in the Assembly yesterday, O’Neill said she plans to raise the changes with the UK Government.

“I think that this is yet again more of the same from this Government in London,” she said, referencing the previous cut to winter fuel payments and an increase to employers’ national insurance contributions.

“Now they’re reaching for people with disabilities, and those that are sick and vulnerable in our society,” she said.

“These are political choices, political choices being made in London that are impacting detrimentally on our lives here, and we don’t have a say in that.

“So I think that targeting the most vulnerable in our society through these punitive taxes is clearly a political choice in London, but it does not serve the interests of our people here.

“But I can assure you that, yes, we will take every opportunity to raise these issues with the relevant people in London.”