The Social Security (Overpayments and Recovery) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Offsetting

16.—(1) Paragraph (2) applies where a person has been paid a sum of benefit under a decision (“the original decision”) which is subsequently—

(a) revised or further revised;

(b) superseded or further superseded; or

(c) set aside on an appeal.

(2) Any universal credit, jobseeker’s allowance or employment and support allowance paid in respect of a period covered by the subsequent decision is to be offset against arrears of entitlement to benefit under that decision and, except to the extent that the universal credit, jobseeker’s allowance or employment and support allowance exceeds the arrears, is to be treated as properly paid on account of them.

(3) Where an amount has been deducted under regulation 8 or 9 (sums to be deducted in calculating recoverable amounts), an equivalent sum is to be offset against any arrears of entitlement under the subsequent decision except to the extent that the sum exceeds the arrears and is to be treated as properly paid on account of them.

(4) No amount may be offset under paragraph (2) which is an overpayment.

(5) In this regulation “subsequent decision” means the decision referred to in paragraph (1)(a), (b) or (c) which was taken in relation to the original decision.