The Healthy Start Scheme and Day Care Food Scheme (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2017

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend the Healthy Start Scheme and Day Care Food Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (S.R. 2006 No. 478) (“the principal Regulations”) which establish a scheme to improve nutrition in pregnant women, mothers and young children by providing vouchers for certain basic foods and vitamins.

Regulations 2 amends regulation 4 of the principal Regulations to introduce the following new categories of claimant:

• a pregnant woman who is over 18 and entitled to universal credit;

• a pregnant woman over the age of 18 who is the responsibility of a person who is entitled to universal credit;

• a mother who has a child under the age of 1 and who is entitled to universal credit;

• a mother who has a child under the age of 1 and who is the responsibility of a person who is entitled to universal credit;

• a child under the age of 4 who is the responsibility of a person who is entitled to universal credit; and

• a child under the age of 4 for whom a relevant child (as defined) has parental responsibility.

Where entitlement to benefit is dependent on a person being entitled to universal credit, the amendment at regulation 2(8) provides that the person entitled to universal credit must have earned income of £408 or less (or, if the person is one of joint claimants, the joint claimants have combined earned income of £408 or less) in either the most recent complete assessment period or the assessment period immediately preceding that. Further, a person who is entitled to benefit by virtue of satisfying this financial condition in relation to the assessment period preceding the most recent complete assessment period ceases to be entitled to benefit after 8 weeks.

Regulation 3 amends the provisions on making a claim for benefit in respect of the categories of claimant being introduced by these Regulations.

Regulation 4 makes provision for the inclusion of a signed declaration in a claim for benefit under the principal Regulations by the categories of claimant being introduced by these Regulations.

An impact assessment has not been prepared for this rule as no impact on the private or voluntary sector is foreseen.