The Social Security (Back to Work Bonus) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Single claimants who are couples

15.—(1) Where—

(a) 2 persons are living together as a married or unmarried couple;

(b) each of those persons was in receipt of a qualifying benefit during the whole or part of the time they were a couple, and

(c) had they declared they were a couple, either—

(i) no qualifying benefit would have been payable to them, or

(ii) a qualifying benefit would have been payable to only one member of the couple,

the provisions of these Regulations shall have effect subject to paragraphs (2) to (4).

(2) In a case where in any week no benefit would have been payable, any earnings received in that week shall be disregarded in determining the amount of the bonus.

(3) In a case where a qualifying benefit is or would have been payable to one member of the couple, any earnings which were taken into account in the separate awards of the qualifying benefit to each member of the couple shall, subject to paragraph (4), be taken into account in accordance with regulation 8 (amount payable).

(4) Where at the time the persons mentioned in paragraph (1)(a) first become a married or unmarried couple the amount of any bonus, determined in accordance with paragraphs (1) to (3) and regulation 8—

(a) would be £1,000 or more, the amount of the bonus shall be the higher amount and shall not be increased further by reference to any earnings accruing since that time, or

(b) was less than £1,000, earnings accruing since that time shall be taken into account in accordance with regulation 8, but not so as to increase the amount of the bonus payable to more than £1,000.