The Child Support (Northern Ireland) Order 1991

InterpretationN.I.

2.—(1) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954F1 shall apply to Article 1 and the following provisions of this Order as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

(2) In this Order—

  • “[F2absent parent] [F3non-resident parent]” has the meaning given in Article 4(2);

  • Definition rep. by 1998 NI 10

  • [F4“appeal tribunal” means an appeal tribunal constituted under Chapter 1 of the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1998;]

  • [F5“application for a [F6departure direction] [F7variation]” means an application under Article 28A [F8or 28G];]

  • F9“assessable income” has the meaning given in paragraph 5 of Schedule 1;

  • “benefit Acts” means the[F5 Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 and the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992]

  • “child benefit” has the same meaning as in the Child Benefit (Northern Ireland) Order 1975F10;

  • Definitions rep. by 1998 NI 10

  • “Child Support Commissioner” means a Child Support Commissioner for Northern Ireland appointed under section 23 of the Child Support Act 1991F11;

  • “child support maintenance” has the meaning given in Article 4(6);

  • Definition rep. by 1998 NI 10

  • [F12F13“current assessment”, in relation to an application for a departure direction, means (subject to any regulations made under paragraph 10 of Schedule 4A) the maintenance assessment with respect to which the application is made;]

  • “deduction from earnings order” has the meaning given in Article 31(2);

  • [F14“default maintenance decision” has the meaning given in Article 14;]

  • “the Department” means the Department of Health and Social Services;

  • [F15F16“departure direction” has the meaning given in Article 28A;]

  • “disability living allowance” has the same meaning as in the Social Security (Northern Ireland) Act 1975F17;

  • Definition rep. by 2002 c. 21

  • “income support” has the same meaning as in the benefit Acts;

  • [F18“income-based jobseeker's allowance” has the same meaning as in the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995;]

  • “interim maintenance [F19assessment] [F20decision]” has the meaning given in Article 14;

  • “liability order” has the meaning given in Article 33(2);

  • “maintenance agreement” has the meaning given in Article 11(1);

  • [F21“maintenance assessment” means an assessment of maintenance made under this Order and, except in prescribed circumstances, includes an interim maintenance assessment;]

  • [F22“maintenance calculation” means a calculation of maintenance made under this Order and, except in prescribed circumstances, includes a default maintenance decision and an interim maintenance decision;]

  • “maintenance order” has the meaning given in Article 10(11);

  • F23“maintenance requirement” means the amount calculated in accordance with paragraph 1 of Schedule 1;

  • “parent”, in relation to any child, means any person who is in law the mother or father of the child and, in the case of an illegitimate child, includes the father;

  • [F5“parent with care” means a person who is, in relation to a child, both a parent and a person with care;]

  • “parental responsibility”,[F24 has the same meaning as in the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995];

  • “person with care” has the meaning given in Article 4(3);

  • “prescribed”, except in Article 12(5), means prescribed by regulations made by the Department;

  • “qualifying child” has the meaning given in Article 4(1);

  • “statutory provision” has the meaning assigned to it by section 1(f) of the Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954F25.

  • [F26“voluntary payment” has the meaning given in Article 28J.]

F2Words in Order substituted (3.3.2003 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4), ss. 25, 68(2) Sch. 3 para. 11; S.R. 2003/53, art. 3(1), Sch.

F3Words in Order substituted (3.3.2003 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4), ss. 25, 68(2) Sch. 3 para. 11; S.R. 2003/53, art. 3(1), Sch.

F6Word in art. 2(2) in definition of "application for a departure direction" substituted (3.3.2003 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4), ss. 25, 68(2) Sch. 3 para. 12(a); S.R. 2003/53, art. 3(1), Sch.

F7Word in art. 2(2) in definition of "application for a departure direction" substituted (3.3.2003 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4), ss. 25, 68(2) Sch. 3 para. 12(a); S.R. 2003/53, art. 3(1), Sch.

F8Words in art. 2(2) in definition of "application for a departure direction" inserted (3.3.2003 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4), ss. 25, 68(2) Sch. 3 para. 12(a); S.R. 2003/53, art. 3(1), Sch.

F9Art. 2(2): definition of "assessable income" repealed (3.3.2003 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4), ss. 25, 67, 68(2), Sch. 3 para. 12(b), Sch. 9 Pt. I; S.R. 2003/53, art. 3(1), Sch.

F13Art. 2(2): definition of "current assessment" repealed (3.3.2003 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4), ss. 25, 67, 68(2), Sch. 3 para. 12(b), Sch. 9 Pt. I; S.R. 2003/53, art. 3(1), Sch.

F14Art. 2(2): definition of "default maintenance decision" inserted (3.3.2003 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4), ss. 25, 68(2) Sch. 3 para. 12(c); S.R. 2003/53, art. 3(1), Sch.

F16Art. 2(2): definition of "departure direction" repealed (3.3.2003 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4), ss. 25, 67, 68(2), Sch. 3 para. 12(b), Sch. 9 Pt. I; S.R. 2003/53, art. 3(1), Sch.

F19Word in art. 2(2) in definition of "interim maintenance assessment" substituted (3.3.2003 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4), ss. 25, 68(2) Sch. 3 para. 12(d); S.R. 2003/53, art. 3(1), Sch.

F20Word in art. 2(2) in definition of "interim maintenance assessment" substituted (3.3.2003 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4), ss. 25, 68(2) Sch. 3 para. 12(d); S.R. 2003/53, art. 3(1), Sch.

F21Art. 2(2): definition of "maintenance calculation" substituted (3.3.2003 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) for definition of "maintenance assessment" by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4), ss. 25, 68(2) Sch. 3 para. 12(e); S.R. 2003/53, art. 3(1), Sch.

F22Art. 2(2): definition of "maintenance calculation" substituted (3.3.2003 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) for definition of "maintenance assessment" by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4), ss. 25, 68(2) Sch. 3 para. 12(e); S.R. 2003/53, art. 3(1), Sch.

F23Art. 2(2): definition of "maintenance requirement" repealed (3.3.2003 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4), ss. 25, 67, 68(2), Sch. 3 para. 12(b), Sch. 9 Pt. I; S.R. 2003/53, art. 3(1), Sch.

F26Art. 2(2): definition of "voluntary payment" added (3.3.2003 for certain purposes otherwise prosp.) by Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (c. 4), ss. 25, 68(2) Sch. 3 para. 12(f); S.R. 2003/53, art. 3(1), Sch.