1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Income Support (General) (Standard Interest Rate Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004 and shall come into operation on 18th July 2004.
(2) These Regulations shall have effect in relation to any particular claimant –
(a)in a case where income support is paid to the claimant in arrears, in accordance with paragraph 1(a) of Schedule 2A to the Decisions and Appeals Regulations(1) (date on which change of circumstances takes effect in certain cases where a claimant is in receipt of income support) –
(i)from the first day of the benefit week which includes 25th July 2004, or
(ii)if the claim for income support is for a period commencing after 25th July 2004, from the first day of the first benefit week commencing after 18th July 2004;
(b)in a case where income support is paid to the claimant in advance, in accordance with paragraph 1(b) of Schedule 2A to the Decisions and Appeals Regulations, from the first day of the first benefit week commencing after 25th July 2004,
and for this purpose, the expressions “claimant” and “benefit week” have the same meanings as in regulation 2(1) of the Income Support Regulations(2) (interpretation).
(3) In these Regulations –
“the Decisions and Appeals Regulations” means the Social Security and Child Support (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999(3);
“the Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(4).
(4) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(5) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.
2. In Schedule 3 to the Income Support Regulations(6) (housing costs), in paragraph 12(1)(a) (standard rate of interest on qualifying loans) for “5.33 per cent.” there shall be substituted “5.59 per cent.”.
3. The Income Support (General) (Standard Interest Rate Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004(7) are hereby revoked save that those Regulations shall continue to have effect until the day before the first day of the benefit week having effect in relation to any particular claimant for the purpose of regulation 1(2) of these Regulations.
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Social Development on 24th June 2004.
L.S.
John O'Neill
A senior officer of the
Department for Social Development