Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992

3 (1) Subject to the following provisions of this paragraph, if on the qualifying date the beneficiary was—

(a) a man under the age of 60, or

(b) a woman under the age of 55,

the weekly rate of unemployability supplement shall be increased by the appropriate amount specified in Schedule 4, Part V, paragraph 6.

(2) Where for any period the beneficiary is entitled to a Category A or Category B retirement pension or an invalidity pension and the weekly rate of the pension includes an additional pension such as is mentioned in section 44(3)(b) above, for that period the relevant amount shall be deducted from the amount that would otherwise be the increase under this paragraph and the beneficiary shall be entitled to an increase only if there is a balance after that deduction and, if there is such a balance, only of an amount equal to it.

(3) In this paragraph “the relevant amount” means an amount equal to the additional pension reduced by the amount of any reduction in the weekly rate of the retirement or invalidity pension made by virtue of Article 31 of the Pensions Order.

(4) In this paragraph references to an additional pension are references to that pension after any increase under section 52(3) above but without any increase under paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 5 to this Act.

(5) In this paragraph “the qualifying date” means, subject to sub-paragraphs (6) and (7) below, the beginning of the first week for which the beneficiary qualified for unemployability supplement.

(6) If the incapacity for work in respect of which unemployability supplement is payable forms part of a period of interruption of employment which has continued from a date earlier than the date fixed under sub-paragraph (5) above, the qualifying date means the first day in that period which is a day of incapacity for work, or such earlier day as may be prescribed.

(7) Subject to sub-paragraph (6) above, if there have been two or more periods for which the beneficiary was entitled to unemployability supplement, the qualifying date shall be, in relation to unemployability supplement for a day in any one of those periods, the beginning of the first week of that period.

(8) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (7) above—

(a) a break of more than 8 weeks in entitlement to unemployability supplement means that the periods before and after the break are two different periods; and

(b) a break of 8 weeks or less is to be disregarded.

(9) Regulations may provide that sub-paragraph (8) above shall have effect as if for the references to 8 weeks there were substituted references to a larger number of weeks specified in the regulations.

(10) In this paragraph “period of interruption of employment” has the same meaning as it has for the purposes of unemployment benefit.

(11) The provisions of this paragraph are subject to Article 31C of the Pensions Order (contracting-out and increases of unemployability supplement).