The increase brings the total available through the Northern IrelandSocial Fund this financial year to 74.69m. The fund supportspeople on low incomes in a number of ways, including giving grants tohelp families with newborn babies and offering loans to help familiescover expenses such as school uniforms.
The extra cash is for the Social Fund's discretionary element. Financialsupport available through the discretionary element includes budgetingloans that help families pay for intermittent expenses and communitycare grants that are available to care leavers and young offendersleaving custody.
Northern Ireland's social development minister David Hanson said:"Access to the Social Fund is essential for the most needy andvulnerable people in Northern Ireland and I am sure that this increasewill make a real difference."
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