The Income Support (General) (Standard Interest Rate Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Income Support (General) (Standard Interest Rate Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004 and shall come into operation on 21st March 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 28th March 2004, or

(ii) if the claim for income support is for a period commencing after 28th March 2004, from the first day of the first benefit week commencing after 21st March 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 28th March 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.

Amendment of Schedule 3 to the Income Support Regulations

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 “5.07 per cent.” there shall be substituted “5.33 per cent.”.

Revocation and saving

3.  The Income Support (General) (Standard Interest Rate Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003(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 27th February 2004.

L.S.

John O'Neill

Senior Officer of the

Department for Social Development