The Fuel Allowance Payments Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012

Regulation 2

SCHEDULE Fuel Allowance Payments Scheme (Northern Ireland) 2012

Citation and interpretation

1.—(1) This Scheme may be cited as the Fuel Allowance Payments Scheme (Northern Ireland) 2012.

(2) In this Scheme:—

“the Department” means the Department for Social Development;

“the higher rate” means a single payment of £100;

“a fuel allowance payment” means financial assistance provided under this Scheme;

“income support” means income support under section 123 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992(1);

“the qualifying week” means the week beginning with (and including) Monday 12^th December 2011 and ending with Sunday 18th December 2011;

“social security information” means information held by or on behalf of the Department and obtained as a result of, or for the purpose of, the exercise of the Department’s functions in relation to social security;

“state pension credit” means state pension credit under the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002(2);

“the standard rate” means a single payment of £75.

Eligibility

2.—(1) A person is not eligible for a fuel allowance payment at the standard rate unless they were in receipt of:—

(a) income support;

(b) income-related employment and support allowance; or

(c) income-based job seeker’s allowance

on any one day during the qualifying week.

(2) A person is not eligible for a fuel allowance payment at the higher rate unless they were in receipt of state pension credit on any one day during the qualifying week.

Delayed payment

3.—(1) A person who is eligible for a fuel allowance payment, and has not received it by 29th February 2012, may apply for a payment.

(2) An application under sub-paragraph (1) must:—

(a) be in writing to the Department or by telephone to 0300 200 7870;

(b) be received by the Department before 30^th June 2012; and

(c) specify:—

(i) the applicant’s name, address, date of birth and national insurance number;

(ii) the date on which the application is sent to the Department; and

(iii) the benefits that the applicant is in receipt of.

(3) If the Department is satisfied that a person making an application under sub-paragraph (1) is eligible for a fuel allowance payment and has not already received such a payment, the Department shall make that payment.

Payment to be disregarded for social security

4.  No account shall be taken of eligibility for a fuel allowance payment in considering a person’s entitlement to a Social Fund payment or a payment under either of the following social security benefits:—

(a) income support; or

(b) state pension credit.

Information

5.  The Department may use social security information for the purpose of determining whether a person is eligible for a fuel allowance payment.

Provision of household fuel payments

6.  The Department shall make fuel allowance payments under the Scheme.

(1)

1992 c. 7. Section 123 was amended by Schedules 2 and 3 to the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 and paragraph 2 of Schedule 2 to the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002.

(2)

2002 c.14 (N.I.)