Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992

63 The social fund Commissioner and inspectors

(1) There shall continue to be an officer known as “the social fund Commissioner” (in this section referred to as “the Commissioner”).

(2) The Commissioner shall be appointed by the Department.

(3) The Commissioner—

(a) shall appoint such social fund inspectors; and

(b) may appoint such officers and staff for himself and for social fund inspectors,

as he thinks fit, but with the consent of the Department and the Department of Finance and Personnel as to numbers.

(4) Appointments under subsection (3) above shall be made from persons made available to the Commissioner by the Department.

(5) It shall be the duty of the Commissioner—

(a) to monitor the quality of decisions of social fund inspectors and give them such advice and assistance as he thinks fit to improve the standard of their decisions;

(b) to arrange such training of social fund inspectors as he considers appropriate; and

(c) to carry out such other functions in connection with the work of social fund inspectors as the Department may direct.

(6) The Commissioner shall report annually in writing to the Department on the standards of reviews by social fund inspectors and the Department shall publish his report.