The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments No. 4) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments No. 4) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 and shall come into operation on 22nd October 1997.

(2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(1) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to a Measure of the Assembly.

Amendment of the Income Support (General) Regulations

2.—(1) Schedule 3 to the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(2) (housing costs) shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (6).

(2) After paragraph 1 (housing costs) there shall be inserted the following paragraph—

“Previous entitlement to income-based jobseeker’s allowance

1A.— (1) Where a claimant or his partner was in receipt of or was treated as being in receipt of income-based jobseeker’s allowance not more than 12 weeks before one of them becomes entitled to income support or, where the claimant or his partner is a person to whom paragraph 14(2) or (8) (linking rules) refers, not more than 26 weeks before becoming so entitled and—

(a) the applicable amount for that allowance included an amount in respect of housing costs under paragraph 14 or 15 of Schedule 2 to the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(3) (loans on residential property and for repairs and improvements to the dwelling occupied as the home); and

(b) the circumstances affecting the calculation of those housing costs remain unchanged since the last calculation of those costs,

the applicable amount in respect of housing costs for income support shall be the applicable amount in respect of those costs current when entitlement to income-based jobseeker’s allowance was last determined.

(2) Where, in the period since housing costs were last calculated for income-based jobseeker’s allowance, there has been a change of circumstances, other than a reduction in the amount of an outstanding loan, which increases or reduces those costs, the amount to be met under this Schedule shall, for the purposes of the claim for income support, be recalculated to as to take account of that change.”.

(3) In paragraph 6(1A)(4) (existing housing costs) after “sub-paragraph (1)” there shall be inserted “and subject to sub-paragraph (1B)”.

(4) After paragraph 6(1A) there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraph—

“(1B) Where a claimant or his partner ceases to be in receipt of or treated as being in receipt of income-based jobseeker’s allowance and one of them becomes entitled to income support in a case to which paragraph 1A(5) applies, the eligible capital for the time being owing shall be recalculated on each anniversary of the date on which the housing costs were first met for whichever of the benefits concerned the claimant or his partner was first entitled.”.

(5) In paragraph 8(1A)(6) (new housing costs) after “sub-paragraph (1)” there shall be inserted “and subject to sub-paragraph (1B)”.

(6) After paragraph 8(1A) there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraph—

“(1B) Where a claimant or his partner ceases to be in receipt of or treated as being in receipt of income-based jobseeker’s allowance and one of them becomes entitled to income support in a case to which paragraph 1A(7) applies, the eligible capital for the time being owing shall be recalculated on each anniversary of the date on which the housing costs were first met for whichever of the benefits concerned the claimant or his partner was first entitled.”.

Amendment of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations

3.  In paragraph 9 of Schedule 8B to the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(8) (deductions of mortgage interest from benefit and payment to qualifying lenders — provision of information)—

(a) at the beginning of both sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) there shall be inserted “Subject to sub-paragraph (4),”;

(b) after sub-paragraph (3) there shall be added the following sub-paragraph—

“(4) Where a claimant or his partner is a person to whom either paragraph 1A of Schedule 3 to the Income Support Regulations(9) (housing costs) or paragraph 1A of Schedule 2 to the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations(10) (housing costs) refers, the information to which sub-paragraphs (2) and (3)(b) refer shall be provided at the request of the Department on the anniversary of the date on which the housing costs in respect of mortgage interest were first brought into account in determining the applicable amount of the person concerned.”.

Amendment of the Social Security (Adjudication) Regulations

4.—(1) The Social Security (Adjudication) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995(11) shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (4).

(2) In regulation 63(7)(12) (review in income support cases) at the beginning there shall be inserted “Subject to regulation 63B (further provision on reviews in income support cases and jobseeker’s allowance cases),”.

(3) In regulation 63A(9)(13) (review in jobseeker’s allowance cases) at the beginning there shall be inserted “Subject to regulation 63B (further provision on reviews in income support cases and jobseeker’s allowance cases),”.

(4) After regulation 63A there shall be inserted the following regulation—

“Further provision on reviews in income support cases and jobseeker’s allowance cases

63B.   Where, in any case to which regulation 63(7) or 63A(9) applies (reviews of housing costs on the anniversaries of the date on which a claimant’s mortgage interest costs are first met for income support or jobseeker’s allowance), a claimant has been continuously in receipt of or treated as having been continuously in receipt of income support or jobseeker’s allowance, or one of those benefits followed by the other, and he or his partner continues to receive either benefit, the anniversary to which those paragraphs refer shall be the anniversary of the earliest date on which benefit (whether income support or jobseeker’s allowance) in respect of those mortgage interest costs became payable.”.

Amendment of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations

5.—(1) Schedule 2 to the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(14) (housing costs) shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (6).

(2) After paragraph 1 (housing costs) there shall be inserted the following paragraph—

“Previous entitlement to income support

1A.— (1) Where a claimant or his partner was in receipt of or was treated as being in receipt of income support not more than 12 weeks before one of them becomes entitled to income-based jobseeker’s allowance or, where the claimant or his partner is a person to whom paragraph 13(2) or (10) (linking rules) refers, not more than 26 weeks before becoming so entitled and—

(a) the applicable amount for income support included an amount in respect of housing costs under paragraph 15 or 16 of Schedule 3 to the Income Support Regulations (loans on residential property and for repairs and improvements to the dwelling occupied as the home), and

(b) the circumstances affecting the calculation of those housing costs remain unchanged since the last calculation of those costs,

the applicable amount in respect of housing costs for income-based jobseeker’s allowance shall be the applicable amount in respect of those costs current when entitlement to income support was last determined.

(2) Where, in the period since housing costs were last calculated for income support, there has been a change of circumstances, other than a reduction in the amount of an outstanding loan, which increases or reduces those costs, the amount to be met under this Schedule shall, for the purposes of the claim for income-based jobseeker’s allowance, be recalculated so as to take account of that change.”.

(3) In paragraph 6(2) (existing housing costs) after “sub-paragraph (1)” there shall be inserted “and subject to sub-paragraph (3)”.

(4) After paragraph 6(2) there shall be added the following sub-paragraph—

“(3) Where a claimant or his partner ceases to be in receipt of or treated as being in receipt of income support and one of them becomes entitled to income-based jobseeker’s allowance in a case to which paragraph 1A(15) applies, the eligible capital for the time being owing shall be recalculated on each anniversary of the date on which the housing costs were first met for whichever of the benefits concerned the claimant or his partner was first entitled.”.

(5) In paragraph 7(2) (new housing costs) after “sub-paragraph (1)” there shall be inserted “and subject to sub-paragraph (2A)”.

(6) After paragraph 7(2) there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraph—

“(2A) Where a claimant or his partner ceases to be in receipt of or treated as being in receipt of income support and one of them becomes entitled to income-based jobseeker’s allowance in a case to which paragraph 1A(16) applies, the eligible capital for the time being owing shall be recalculated on each anniversary of the date on which the housing costs were first met for whichever of the benefits concerned the claimant or his partner was first entitled.”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland on

L.S.

John O'Neill

Assistant Secretary

26th September 1997.