The Social Security (Child Maintenance Bonus) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996

Amount payable

5.—(1) The amount of the bonus shall be—

(a) subject to paragraphs (2) to (5), a sum representing the aggregate of—

(i) £5 for each benefit week in the bonus period in which the amount of child maintenance payable was not less than £5, and

(ii) where in any benefit week in the bonus period the amount of child maintenance payable was less than £5, the amount that was payable;

(b) the amount of the child maintenance paid in the bonus period; or

(c) £1,000,

whichever amount is the least.

(2) Where the amount of child maintenance a person was liable to pay in any benefit week in the bonus period was less than £5 but the amount actually paid was higher than the amount he was required to pay, then for the purposes of paragraph (1)(a) the weekly amount to be taken into account shall be the amount the person was liable to pay.

(3) So much of any child maintenance paid in excess of the amount either—

(a) declared for the purposes of determining the amount of qualifying benefit payable to the applicant or his partner; or

(b) retained by the Department in accordance with section 72A(3) of the Administration Act,

shall be disregarded in determining the amount payable under paragraph (1).

(4) Where the child maintenance paid is child support maintenance, the amount of child maintenance to be taken into account in accordance with paragraph (1) shall be such amount as may in the particular case be certified by the child support officer.

(5) Where but for this paragraph the amount of bonus payable in accordance with paragraph (1) would be less than £5, the amount of the bonus shall be Nil.