(This note is not part of the Regulations.)
These Regulations amend certain provisions in the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (“the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations”), the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987, the Family Credit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 and the Disability Working Allowance (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992, in relation to those persons who are undertaking qualifying courses as defined for the purposes of Parts II and V of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations.
Regulations 2 to 5 provide that discretionary payments made to persons undertaking qualifying courses to meet, or help meet special needs, shall, for the purposes of those benefits, be disregarded for the purposes of assessing that person’s income or capital or, where such payments are made to third parties, shall not be taken into account as their notional income or notional capital.
These Regulations make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding 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.