The Income-Related Benefits and Jobseeker’s Allowance (Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Income-Related Benefits and Jobseeker’s Allowance (Working Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003.

(2) This regulation, regulation 2 and Schedule 1 shall have effect in relation to any particular claimant for income support from the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that claimant on or after 6th April 2003 and in this paragraph “benefit week”(1) and “claimant” shall have the same meaning as in regulation 2(1) of the Income Support Regulations.

(3) Subject to paragraphs (4) and (5), regulation 3 and Schedule 2 shall come into operation on 1st April 2003.

(4) Paragraphs 1, 7, 10, 11 and 12 of Schedule 2 and regulation 3 in so far as it relates to those paragraphs shall come into operation on 7th April 2003.

(5) In a case where rent is or rates are payable at intervals of a week or any multiple thereof, paragraphs 2 to 6, 8 and 9 of Schedule 2 and regulation 3 in so far as it relates to those paragraphs shall come into operation on 7th April 2003.

(6) This regulation, regulation 4 and Schedule 3 shall have effect in relation to any particular claimant for a jobseeker’s allowance from the first day of the first benefit week to commence for that claimant on or after 6th April 2003 and in this paragraph “benefit week”(2) shall have the same meaning as in regulation 1(2) of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations.

(7) In these Regulations–

“the Housing Benefit Regulations” means the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(3);

“the Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(4);

“the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations” means the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(5).

(8) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(6) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

Amendment of the Income Support Regulations

2.  The Income Support Regulations shall be amended in accordance with Schedule 1 and references in that Schedule to regulations and Schedules are to regulations of and Schedules to those Regulations.

Amendment of the Housing Benefit Regulations

3.  The Housing Benefit Regulations shall be amended in accordance with Schedule 2 and references in that Schedule to regulations and Schedules are to regulations of and Schedules to those Regulations.

Amendment of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations

4.  The Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations shall be amended in accordance with Schedule 3 and references in that Schedule to regulations and Schedules are to regulations of and Schedules to those Regulations.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Social Development on 2nd January 2003.

L.S.

John O'Neill

Senior Officer of the

Department for Social Development

The Department of Finance and Personnel hereby consents to regulation 3 of and Schedule 2 to the foregoing Regulations.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on 2nd January 2003.

L.S.

N. Taylor

Senior Officer of the

Department of Finance and Personnel