9.—(1) In the circumstances referred to in sub-paragraph (2), a decision of the Department that a sanctionable benefit as defined in section 5A(1) of the Fraud Act(1) is not payable (or is to be reduced) pursuant to section 5B, 6 or 8 of that Act as a result of—
(a)a conviction for one or more benefit offences in one set of proceedings;
(b)an agreement to pay a penalty as an alternative to prosecution;
(c)a caution in respect of one or more benefit offences; or
(d)a conviction for one or more benefit offences in each of two sets of proceedings, the later offence or offences being committed within the period of 5 years after the date of any of the convictions for a benefit offence in the earlier proceedings.
(2) The circumstances are that the only ground of appeal is that any of the convictions was erroneous, or that the offender (as defined in section 5B(1) of the Fraud Act) did not commit the benefit offence in respect of which there has been an agreement to pay a penalty or a caution has been accepted.
Sections 5A and 5B were inserted by section 19(1) of the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2010. Section 5A(1) is amended by paragraph 46 of Schedule 2 to the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015. Section 5B is amended by Articles 115(8)(a), 117(2) to (6) and 118(2) of, and paragraph 47 of Schedule 2, paragraph 14 of Schedule 3 and Part 1 of Schedule 12 to, the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015. Section 6 was amended by paragraph 33 of Schedule 2 to the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002, Schedule 6 to the Tax Credits Act 2002, section 45 of, and paragraph 14(2) and (3) of Schedule 3 to, the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007, paragraph 1 of Schedule 3 to the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2010, Articles 117(7), 118(3) to (11) of, and paragraph 48 of Schedule 2, paragraph 15 of Schedule 3 and Part 1 of Schedule 12 to, the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015, Section 8 was amended by paragraph 34 of Schedule 2 to the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002, paragraph 14(4) and (5) of Schedule 3 to the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007, paragraph 3 of Schedule 3 to the Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2010 and paragraph 50 of Schedule 2 and Part 1 of Schedule 12 to the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015.