The Universal Credit, Personal Independence Payment, Jobseeker’s Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016

Payment of an employment and support allowance

46.—(1) Subject to paragraphs (3) to (8), an employment and support allowance paid in accordance with regulation 41 is to be paid fortnightly in arrears on the day of the week determined in accordance with paragraph (2).

(2) The day specified for the purposes of paragraph (1) is the day in column (2) which corresponds to the series of numbers in column (1) which includes the last 2 digits of the claimant’s national insurance number—

Column (1)	Column (2)
00 to 19		Monday
20 to 39		Tuesday
40 to 59		Wednesday
60 to 79		Thursday
80 to 99		Friday

(3) The Department may, in any case or class of case, arrange that the claimant be paid otherwise than fortnightly.

(4) In respect of an award of an employment and support allowance which is the subject of an arrangement for payment under regulation 41, the Department may make a particular payment by credit transfer otherwise than as provided by paragraph (1), if it appears to the Department appropriate to do so for the purpose of—

(a) paying any arrears of benefit; or

(b) making a payment in respect of a terminal period of an award or for any similar purpose.

(5) The Department may, in any case or class of case, arrange that an employment and support allowance be paid on any day of the week and where it is in payment to any person and the day on which it is payable is changed, it is to be paid at a daily rate of 1/7th of the weekly rate in respect of any of the days for which payment would have been made but for that change.

(6) Where the weekly amount of employment and support allowance is less than £1∙00 it may be paid in arrears at intervals of not more than 13 weeks.

(7) Where the weekly amount of employment and support allowance is less than 10 pence that allowance is not payable.

(8) Where employment and support allowance is normally payable in arrears and the day on which that benefit is payable by reason of paragraph (2) is affected by office closure, it may for that benefit week be paid wholly in advance or partly in advance and partly in arrears and on such day as the Department may direct.

(9) Where, under paragraph (8), an employment and support allowance is paid either in advance or partly in advance and partly in arrears it is for any other purpose to be treated as if it was paid in arrears.

(10) For the purposes of paragraph (8) “benefit week” means a period of 7 days beginning or ending with such day as the Department may direct.