State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002

33.  In section 6 (loss of benefit for commission of benefit offences)—

(a) after subsection (4) (cases where sanctionable benefit is jobseeker’s allowance) insert—

“(4A) The Department may by regulations provide that, where the sanctionable benefit is state pension credit, the benefit shall be payable in the offender’s case for any period comprised in the disqualification period as if the rate of the benefit were reduced in such manner as may be prescribed.”;

(b) in subsection (8) (interpretation)—

(i) in the definition of “disqualifying benefit”, after paragraph (a) insert—

“(aa) any benefit under the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 or the State Pension Credit Act 2002;”;

(ii) in the definition of “sanctionable benefit”, after paragraph (a) insert—

“(aa) any benefit under the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002;”.