1.—(1) This Order may be cited as the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order (Northern Ireland) 1996 and shall come into operation for the purposes of—
(a)Articles 1 and 2 on 1st April 1996;
(b)Article 9 on 6th April 1996;
(c)Article 10 on 7th April 1996;
(d)Articles 3 to 6, 8 and 11 to 13 on 8th April 1996;
(e)Articles 16, 17 and 22 on 9th April 1996;
(f)Article 7 on 10th April 1996;
(g)Articles 14, 15 and 23 on 11th April 1996;
(h)Articles 18 to 20, in so far as they relate to a particular beneficiary, on the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that beneficiary on or after 8th April 1996, and for the purposes of this sub-paragraph and sub-paragraph (i) below “benefit week” has the same meaning as in the Income Support Regulations;
(i)Article 21(c)(ii), in so far as the sums specified are relevant for the purposes of paragraph 17(2)(a) of Schedule 3 to the Income Support Regulations, on the first day of the benefit week to commence for the beneficiary on or after 8th April 1996; and
(j)except in a case to which sub-paragraph (i) above applies, Article 21 on 1st April 1996.
(2) The increases made by this Order in the sums specified for rates or amounts of benefit under the Contributions and Benefits Act or the Pension Schemes Act shall take effect for each case on the date specified in relation to that case in Article 6 of this Order.
2. In this Order, unless the context otherwise requires—
“the Contributions and Benefits Act” means the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992(1);
“the Pension Schemes Act” means the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 1993(2);
“the Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(3).
S.R. 1987 No. 459; relevant amending provisions are S.R. 1988 Nos. 146, 274, 318 and 431, S.R. 1989 Nos. 139 and 249, S.R. 1990 Nos. 131, 213 and 346, S.R. 1991 Nos. 46 and 338, S.R. 1992 No. 6, S.R. 1993 Nos. 149, 165, 235 and 373, S.R. 1994 Nos. 65 and 77 and S.R. 1995 Nos. 71, 86, 301 and 434