Les Allamby
Biography
Les Allamby is currently the Discretionary Support Commissioner for Northern Ireland and member of the Policing Board for Northern Ireland. He is a member of the Carers’ Poverty Commission for Carers (NI). Les is also currently the Chair of NIACRO, and the personal litigant reference group.
Les was the Chief Commissioner of the Northern Irish Human Rights Commission from September 2014 to August 2021. He is a solicitor, and his former roles include the Director of the Law Centre (Northern Ireland), vice chair of the Social Security Advisory Committee 2005-2014 and Chair of the Northern Ireland Social Security Standards Committee 1999-2004.
Les recently chaired an independent panel for Department for Communities to recommend further social security mitigations for Northern Ireland. He has written extensively on social policy, legal rights and justice issues.
Committee member
Social Security Advisory Committee (SSAC) members are appointed by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to:
- give advice on social security issues as it sees fit
- consider and report on social security regulations that have been referred to it
- advise on matters referred to it by the Secretary of State or the Northern Ireland department responsible for social security
- scrutinise the products produced by the Department for Work and Pensions