Controversial welfare reform proposals for Northern Ireland have cleared a crucial Assembly hurdle after a marathon debate at Stormont.
The second stage of the Welfare Reform Bill was passed in a late-night vote in the face of strong opposition from Sinn Féin and the SDLP.
The Bill, if enacted, will implement changes to the benefits system similar to those in England and Wales.
The proposals are aimed at getting more people off benefits and into work.
The Bill would see the introduction of a universal credit to cover a range of existing benefits, a personal independence payment - reassessed every three years - to replace disability living allowance, and housing benefit reforms.
All parties in Northern Ireland's power-sharing executive raised concerns over the legislation but they clashed over how to achieve changes.
The Democratic Unionist Party warned that any delay to the legislative timetable would have disastrous consequences.
The DUP claim that breaking so-called parity with the rest of the UK would cost the executive hundreds of millions of pounds.
Sinn Féin wanted to defer introducing the measures pending further negotiations with the coalition government in London.
The Ulster Unionists claimed there were major problems with the Bill but said they would not block the legislation passing to committee stage.
The Alliance Party adopted a similar position.
