Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2008 No. 289

Social Security

The Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment (Temporary Increase) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008

Made

8th July 2008

Coming into operation

15th September 2008

The Department for Social Development makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 134(2) and 171(1), (3) and (4) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992(1), and now vested in it(2).

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment (Temporary Increase) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 and shall come into operation on 15th September 2008.

(2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(3) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

Modification of the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations

2.—(1) For the purpose of making social fund winter fuel payments in respect of the 2008-09 winter, regulation 2 of the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000(4) (social fund winter fuel payments) is applied as if—

(a)the references to £100 (in both places) were to £125;

(b)in paragraphs (1)(i), (2)(a) and (3), the reference to £200 were to £250;

(c)in paragraph (2)(b), the reference to £200 were to £275;

(d)in paragraph (2)(b), the reference to £150 were to £200; and

(e)the references to £300 (in both places) were to £400.

(2) In this regulation—

“the 2008-09 winter” means the winter which follows the qualifying week beginning on 15th September 2008.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Social Development on 8th July 2008

(L.S.)

John O’Neill

A senior officer of the Department for Social Development

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations modify the Social Fund Winter Fuel Payment Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2000 and provide for an increase in winter fuel payments for winter 2008/2009.

These Regulations make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding to provision 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, the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.

(1)

1992 c. 7; section 171(1) was amended by paragraph 5 of Schedule 4 to the Tax Credits Act 2002 (c.21)

(2)

See Article 8(b) of S.R. 1999 No. 481

(3)

1954 c. 33 (N.I.)

(4)

S.R. 2000 No. 91; regulation 2 was amended by regulation 2 of S.R. 2003 No. 349, regulation 2 of S.R. 2003 No. 389 and regulation 2(3) of S.R. 2004 No. 354