Amendment of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) RegulationsI17

In Schedule 8A to the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 198715 (deductions from benefits and direct payment to third parties)—

a

renumber paragraph 1 as sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 1 and—

i

in that sub-paragraph in the definition of “specified benefit”16 for paragraph (b) substitute—

b

in all other cases means—

i

incapacity benefit, income support, jobseeker’s allowance, retirement pension, severe disablement allowance, state pension credit, widow’s pension or widowed mother’s allowance, or

ii

subject to sub-paragraph (2), employment and support allowance,

ii

after that sub-paragraph add—

2

For the purposes of paragraph (b) of the definition of “specified benefit” in sub-paragraph (1) “employment and support allowance” means—

a

income-related employment and support allowance; and

b

in a case where, if there were no entitlement to contributory employment and support allowance, there would be entitlement to income-related employment and support allowance at the same rate, contributory employment and support allowance.

b

in paragraph 3(1)17 (housing costs) after “employment and support allowance” insert “within the meaning given in paragraph 1(2)”; and

c

in paragraph 6A(12)18 (water charges) for head (b) substitute—

b

“employment and support allowance” has the same meaning as in paragraph 1(2).