The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations amend:

• the Social Security and Child Support (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1999 (“the Decisions and Appeals Regulations”);

• the Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (“the Housing Benefit Regulations”);

• the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (“the Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations”); and

• the Housing Benefit (Consequential Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (“the Consequential Provisions Regulations”).

Regulation 2 amends the Decisions and Appeals Regulations so as to correct the structure of regulation 7(2) of those Regulations.

Regulation 3 amends the Housing Benefit Regulations to:

• omit pensioner premiums and make amendments consequential on this omission, as those who could qualify for such premiums will have their housing benefit calculated under the Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations;

• omit provisions relating to income derived from pension schemes or an annuity as those to which those provisions could apply will have their housing benefit calculated under the Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations;

• provide for the amount of the child maintenance disregard to be increased from £15 per week to a full disregard;

• update references.

Regulation 4 amends the Housing Benefit (State Pension Credit) Regulations by substituting, with updated references, the definition of “sandwich course”.

Regulation 5 makes a technical amendment to a reference in the Consequential Provisions Regulations.

Regulation 6 makes consequential revocations.

In so far as these Regulations are required, for the purposes of regulations 3 and 4, to be referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee under section 149(2) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, after agreement by the Social Security Advisory Committee, they have not been so referred by virtue of section 150(1)(b) of that Act. Otherwise they make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding to provision contained in Regulations made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in relation to Great Britain and accordingly, by virtue of section 149(3) of, and paragraph 10 of Schedule 5 to, that Act, are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.