The Social Security (Claims and Payments and Adjudication) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations amend the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 to—

(a) remove the special rules on time limits for claiming incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance for claimants in hospital (regulation 2(2) and (7));

(b) increase from £2 to £5 the maximum weekly amount of benefit which may be paid at intervals of up to 12 months (regulation 2(3));

(c) alter the period of time within which payment of benefit may be suspended in a case where an appeal to a Social Security Commissioner may be made (regulation 2(4));

(d) amend the provisions for withholding of benefit, which are consequential on changes to the entitlement for income support (regulation 2(5));

(e) amend the time limit for claiming social fund payments in respect of funeral expenses (regulation 2(6)); and

(f) make provision for deductions in respect of arrears of child support maintenance from a beneficiary’s contribution-based jobseeker’s allowance (regulation 2(8)).

These Regulations also amend regulations 63 and 63A of the Social Security (Adjudication) Regulations 1995, which deal with reviews of income support and jobseeker’s allowance. They amend provisions relating to the date that reviews of income support have effect where reductions in the capital outstanding on a loan or changes in the rate of interest have occurred and make similar provision for jobseeker’s allowance (regulation 3).

Regulation 4 makes consequential revocations.

These Regulations correspond to provision contained in Regulations made by the Secretary of State for Social Security in relation to Great Britain and accordingly, by virtue of section 149(3) of, and paragraph 10 of Schedule 5 to, the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 8), are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.