The Social Security (Australia) Order (Northern Ireland) 1992

ARTICLE 14

(1) Where a person who is permanently resident in the territory of the United Kingdom except for Jersey claims unemployment benefit under the legislation of any part of that territory, then, for the purpose of calculating entitlement to that benefit, periods during which that person was in Australia shall be treated in accordance with the provisions of this Article.

(2) Periods of gainful occupation as an employed person in Australia before 6 April 1975 shall be treated as if they had been contribution or equivalent periods completed under the legislation of Great Britain, Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man.

(3) For the purpose of calculating an earnings factor for assessing entitlement to unemployment benefit under the legislation of Great Britain, Northern Ireland or the Isle of Man, a person shall be treated for each week beginning in a relevant tax year, during which he or she was an employed person in Australia, as follows:

(a) for each week commencing on or after 6 April 1975 and up to 5 April 1987, as having a contribution paid as an employed earner on earnings equivalent to two-thirds of that year’s upper earnings limit; and

(b) for each week beginning in a relevant tax year commencing on or after 6 April 1987, as having earnings on which primary Class 1 contributions have been paid. These earnings shall be treated as equivalent to two-thirds of that year’s upper earnings limit.

(4) For the purpose of calculating entitlement to unemployment benefit under the legislation of Guernsey, periods during which a person was gainfully occupied as an employed person in Australia shall be treated as if they had been contribution or equivalent periods completed as an employed person under the legislation of Guernsey.

(5) A person shall be treated as if he or she had had earnings or contributions credited to him or her as an employed person for any week during which he or she was in Australia and was unemployed and available for work or was incapable of work, if that week was part of a period during which he or she was or would ordinarily have been gainfully occupied under a contract of service.

(6) Nothing in this Article shall diminish any right which a person has, apart from this Agreement, to receive unemployment benefit under the legislation of the United Kingdom.

(7) The provisions of this Article shall not apply to a person who claims unemployment benefit under the legislation of Guernsey and who has not paid 26 contributions as an employed person under that legislation.