The Social Security(Northern Ireland) Order 1989

Incapacity for work: work as councillor to be disregarded

2.—(1) In determining for the purposes of—

(a) any provisions of the principal Act which relate to sickness benefit or invalidity benefit; or

(b) Article 17 or 18 of the Pensions Order (invalidity pensions for widows and widowers),

whether any day is to be treated as a day of incapacity for work in relation to a person, there shall be disregarded any work which that person has undertaken, or is capable of undertaking, as a councillor.

(2) Where the amount of councillor’s allowance to which a person is entitled in respect of any week exceeds the permitted earnings limit, an amount equal to the excess shall be deducted from the amount of any incapacity benefit to which he is entitled in respect of that week, and only the balance remaining (if any) shall be payable.

(3) In determining whether a person satisfies the conditions of entitlement for an incapacity benefit, he shall be treated as having been incapable of work on any day which falls in the pre-commencement period and which—

(a) would have been treated as a day on which he was so incapable, were there disregarded any work which he undertook (or was capable of undertaking) as a councillor; but

(b) would not have been so treated apart from this sub-paragraph.

(4) In determining whether a person satisfies the conditions specified in subsections (2)(b) and (3)(b) of section 36 of the principal Act (severe disablement allowance) he shall be treated as having been incapable of work on any day which falls in the pre-commencement period and which—

(a) would have been treated as a day on which he was so incapable, were there disregarded any work which he undertook (or was capable of undertaking) as a councillor; but

(b) would not have been so treated apart from this sub-paragraph.

(5) In subsection (7) of that section (regulations), after paragraph (c) insert the following paragraph—

“(cc) may provide that, where the amount of councillor’s allowance (within the meaning of paragraph 2 of Schedule 8 to the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1989) to which a person is entitled in respect of any week exceeds a prescribed sum, then, except in prescribed cases, an amount equal to the excess shall be deducted from the amount of any severe disablement allowance to which he is entitled in respect of that week, and only the balance remaining (if any) shall be payable; and”.

(6) In this paragraph—

“councillor” means a member of a district council;

“councillor’s allowance” means such payments for or in connection with the work which a person undertakes as a councillor as the Department may prescribe for the purposes of this paragraph; and where any such payments are made otherwise than weekly, an amount calculated or estimated in accordance with regulations shall be regarded as the weekly amount of the payments;

“incapacity benefit” means any of the following benefits—

(a)

sickness benefit;

(b)

invalidity benefit;

(c)

an invalidity pension under Article 17 or 18 of the Pensions Order;

“permitted earnings limit” means the amount specified in regulation 3(3) of the Social Security (Unemployment, Sickness and Invalidity Benefit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1984(1) (work of certain kinds to be disregarded where earnings do not exceed £28.50 per week);

“pre-commencement period” means the period beginning with 11th May 1987 and ending immediately before the coming into operation of this paragraph.

(7) Any reference in this paragraph to the work which a person undertakes, or is capable of undertaking, as a councillor shall be taken to include a reference to any work which he undertakes, or is capable of undertaking, as a member of any body established under any statutory provision of which he is a member by virtue of his being a councillor.

(1)

S.R. 1984 No. 245