The Welfare Supplementary Payment (Universal Credit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025

Carer payments N.I.

6.—(1) The Welfare Supplementary Payment (Loss of Carer Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016(1) are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 2(2) (interpretation), in paragraph (1) insert in the appropriate place in alphabetical order —

““the 2025 Regulations” means the Welfare Supplementary Payment (Universal Credit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025,”;

““carer element” has the same meaning as in regulation 30 of the Universal Credit Regulations,”;

““the Universal Credit Regulations” means the Universal Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016.”.

(3) After regulation 3(3)(welfare supplementary payments) insert—

Welfare supplementary payment and universal credit

3A.— (1) If a person who is entitled to welfare supplementary payment under regulation 3(2) is or becomes entitled to universal credit, the person continues to be entitled to welfare supplementary payment.

(2) Where the person becomes entitled to universal credit as a member of a couple who are entitled to the award as joint claimants, the couple are entitled to the welfare supplementary payment under paragraph (1); and references to a person’s entitlement to welfare supplementary payment are to be construed accordingly.”

(4) In regulation 5 (amount)—

(a) in the title for “Amount” substitute “Amount (non-universal credit cases)”,

(b) before paragraph (1) insert—

“(A1) This regulation applies where a person is entitled to welfare supplementary payment by virtue of regulation 3.”

(c) after that regulation insert—

Amount (universal credit cases)

5AA.— (1) This regulation applies where a person is entitled to welfare supplementary payment by virtue of regulation 3A.

(2) In the case of a person who becomes entitled to universal credit after the coming into operation of the 2025 Regulations, the amount of welfare supplementary payment payable is whichever is the lesser of-

(a) the amount for the time being specified as the carer element in the table in regulation 38 of the Universal Credit Regulations; or

(b) the amount of welfare supplementary payment which was payable under this Part immediately before the person became entitled to universal credit.

(3) If the amount of welfare supplementary payment changes under paragraph (2) when the person becomes entitled to universal credit, the changed amount begins to be payable on the date on which the person becomes so entitled.

(4) In the case of a person who became entitled to universal credit before the coming into operation of the 2025 Regulations, the amount of welfare supplementary payment payable is whichever is the lesser of-

(a) the amount for the time being specified as the carer element in the table in regulation 38 of the Universal Credit Regulations; or

(b) the amount of welfare supplementary payment to which the person was entitled under this Part immediately before the coming into operation of the 2025 Regulations.

(5) Where the amount of welfare supplementary payment payable is calculated in accordance with paragraphs (2)(a) or (4)(a) the amount payable for each period referred to in regulation 6(1) is (subject to any arrangements made under that provision) calculated as follows, with A being the amount of welfare supplementary payment payable—

(6) Where the amount of welfare supplementary payment would, but for this paragraph, include a fraction of a penny, that fraction is to be disregarded if it is less than half a penny and otherwise it is to be treated as a penny.”

(5) In each of regulations 6(1), 10(1) and 14(1) (period of payment), after “in arrears” insert “, unless in any case or class of case in which a person is entitled to universal credit the Department arranges otherwise”.

(6) In regulation 9 (amount)—

(a) in the title for “Amount” substitute “Amount (non-universal credit cases)”,

(b) before paragraph (1) insert—

“(A1) This regulation applies where a person is entitled to welfare supplementary payment by virtue of regulation 3.”,

(c) after that regulation insert—

Amount (universal credit cases)

9A.— (1) This regulation applies where a person is entitled to welfare supplementary payment by virtue of regulation 3A.

(2) The amount of welfare supplementary payment payable is equal to the amount which was payable immediately before the person became entitled to universal credit.”.

(7) In regulation 13 (amount)—

(a) in the title for “Amount” substitute “Amount (non-universal credit cases)”,

(b) the existing text is renumbered as paragraph (2), and before that paragraph insert—

“(1) This regulation applies where a person is entitled to welfare supplementary payment by virtue of regulation 3.”,

(c) after that regulation insert—

Amount (universal credit cases)

13A.— (1) This regulation applies where a person is entitled to welfare supplementary payment by virtue of regulation 3A.

(2) In the case of a person who becomes entitled to universal credit after the coming into operation of the 2025 Regulations, the amount of welfare supplementary payment payable is whichever is the lesser of—

(a) the amount for the time being specified as the carer element in the table in regulation 38 of the Universal Credit Regulations; or

(b) the amount of welfare supplementary payment which was payable under this Part immediately before the person became entitled to universal credit.

(3) If the amount of welfare supplementary payment changes under paragraph (2) when the person becomes entitled to universal credit, the changed amount begins to be payable on the date on which the person becomes so entitled.

(4) In the case of a person who became entitled to universal credit before the coming into operation of the 2025 Regulations, the amount of welfare supplementary payment payable is whichever is the lesser of—

(a) the amount for the time being specified as the carer element in the table in regulation 38 of the Universal Credit Regulations; or

(b) the amount of welfare supplementary payment to which the person was entitled under this Part immediately before the coming into operation of the 2025 Regulations.”.

(8) In regulation 17 (amount)—

(a) in the title for “Amount” substitute “Amount (non-universal credit cases)”,

(b) before paragraph (1) insert—

“(A1) This regulation applies where a person is entitled to welfare supplementary payment by virtue of regulation 3.”,

(c) after that regulation insert—

Amount (universal credit cases)

17A.— (1) This regulation applies where a person is entitled to welfare supplementary payment by virtue of regulation 3A.

(2) The amount of welfare supplementary payment payable is equal to the amount which was payable immediately before the person became entitled to universal credit.”.

(9) In Part 6 (general), after regulation 21A(4) insert—

Termination of welfare supplementary payment on award of universal credit (carer element)

21AA.— (1) This regulation applies where a person who is entitled to a welfare supplementary payment under these Regulations becomes entitled to an award of universal credit which includes the carer’s element in respect of that person only.

(2) Welfare supplementary payment must cease to be paid from the date on which the person becomes entitled to that award of universal credit.”.

Commencement Information

I1 Reg. 6 in operation at 20.3.2025, see reg. 1(2)

(1)

S.R. 2016 No. 253; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 2017 No. 28; S.R. 2022 No. 25 and S.R. 2025 No. 59

(2)

Regulation 2 was amended by regulation 38 of S.R. 2017 No. 28 and by regulation 4(2) of S.R. 2022 No. 25

(3)

Paragraphs (4) to (6) of regulation 3 were inserted by regulation 39 of S.R. 2017 No. 28

(4)

Regulation 21A was inserted by regulation 42 of S.R. 2017 No. 28 and amended by regulation 4(6) of S.R. 2022 No. 25