Voluntary and community sector organisations across Northern Ireland have warned of an immediate crisis as a 64% cut to essential community-based services under the new Local Growth Fund (LGF) is due to take effect within 48 hours. Sector leaders are calling on political representatives to intervene urgently, warning that time is running out to prevent serious disruption.
Organisations affected by the cuts gathered at Stormont to publicly urge the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to take immediate action. They say the reductions threaten critical services that support people facing economic inactivity and could have severe consequences for vulnerable communities across Northern Ireland.
From 1 April 2026, funding aimed at tackling economic inactivity is set to fall by £15.8 million per year. Sector leaders have described the scale of the reduction as unworkable, warning that it will lead to hundreds of job losses and the withdrawal of essential support for thousands of people who rely on these services.
The crisis has been linked to the UK Government’s decision to direct 70% of Local Growth Fund resources toward capital projects instead of continuing investment in employment, skills, and inclusion services. According to sector organisations, this has created a major funding cliff edge that they cannot absorb, leaving many programmes at risk of being dismantled almost immediately.
NICVA’s Economic Inactivity Coalition said it has repeatedly raised concerns with both Westminster and Stormont. Although there has been broad political recognition of the value of these services and the dangers posed by the cuts, no solution has yet been agreed even as the deadline approaches.
Sector leaders warned that if no action is taken before 1 April, more than 11,000 people each year could lose access to vital employability, skills, and inclusion support. They also said hundreds of experienced frontline staff could be made redundant, trusted community infrastructure built over many years could collapse, and additional pressure would be placed on already stretched public services.
The groups most likely to be affected include people with learning difficulties, individuals with disabilities or long-term health conditions, young people struggling in education, people experiencing mental ill health, and women facing persistent barriers to employment. Sector leaders stressed that the impact would be felt across every constituency in Northern Ireland.
The coalition has emphasized that the issue is not simply about protecting organisations, but about safeguarding people’s dignity, inclusion, and access to opportunity. It is now calling on the First Minister and Deputy First Minister to use all available powers to secure an emergency bridging arrangement that would keep services running beyond 1 April, while also maintaining pressure on Westminster to address the wider flaws in the LGF funding model.
