The Discretionary Support Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Basic eligibility conditions

10.—(1) A discretionary support award may be made where—

(a) an extreme, exceptional or crisis situation presents a significant risk to the health, safety or well-being of the claimant or a member of the claimant’s immediate family;

(b) the need for discretionary support occurs in Northern Ireland;

(c) the claimant’s income does not exceed the annual income threshold;

(d) the claimant is–

(i) at least 18 years old, except where child benefit is payable in respect of the claimant; or

(ii) a minimum of 16 years old in the case of a young person who is without parental support; and

(e) the need must be satisfied in Northern Ireland.

(2) For the purposes of this regulation a person is not entitled to a discretionary support award unless the person—

(a) is ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland; and

(b) is present in Northern Ireland.

(3) Except in the case of a disaster, discretionary support shall not be awarded in respect of —

(a) living expenses for which a discretionary support award has already been made;

(b) a claim for the same or other items made within any rolling 12 month period from the date an award is made by the same claimant; or

(c) any loan in relation to regulation 11(1)(c) or (d) which exceeds the 3 loan maximum as set out in sub-paragraph (d).

(d) Subject to regulation 12 a claimant is not eligible to be awarded more than three loans or one grant in a rolling 12 month period.

(4) In this regulation young person is without parental support means, where that person is not being looked after by an authority and—

(a) has no parents;

(b) has parents, but cannot live with those parents because–

(i) the person is estranged from them; or

(ii) there is a serious risk to the person’s physical or mental health, or that person would suffer significant harm if the person lived with them; or

(c) is living away from those parents, and neither parent is able to support the person financially because that parent–

(i) has a physical or mental impairment; or

(ii) is detained in custody pending trial or sentence upon conviction or under a sentence imposed by a court.