The Income Support (General) and Jobseeker’s Allowance (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations amend the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 and the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996.

In particular, regulation 2 of these Regulations provides that where a claimant’s applicable amount includes an amount in respect of his housing costs for a loan which exceeds the appropriate amount, periods of entitlement to income support or a jobseeker’s allowance will only link for the purpose of determining continuous entitlement to those benefits prior to payment of housing costs or where the previous benefit claim ceased because the claimant or his partner was a welfare to work beneficiary.

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.