Eligibility (joint-claim couples: severe disability premium)
15.—(1) A joint-claim couple are entitled to welfare supplementary payment under this Part if—
(a)they meet the joint-claim JSA entitlement condition,
(b)they meet the disability-related premium entitlement condition,
(c)one of them meets the PIP refusal condition (but this is subject to paragraph (7)), and
(d)they meet the termination of disability-related premium condition.
(2) The joint-claim JSA entitlement condition is that they are in receipt of jobseeker’s allowance as a joint-claim couple under the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 on the transition date.
(3) The disability-related premium entitlement condition is that they are in receipt of disability-related premium on the transition date.
(4) In this Part and notwithstanding regulation 11(4), where eligibility for welfare supplementary payment is under this regulation, disability-related premium means severe disability premium under paragraph 20I of Schedule 1 to the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland)1996(1).
(5) The PIP refusal condition is that following a transitional assessment determination, the person is refused personal independence payment, or the component of personal independence payment, that is a condition for entitlement to disability-related premium.
(6) The termination of disability-related premium condition is that, in consequence of the PIP refusal condition, the decision of the Department to award disability-related premium is superseded by a decision to not award disability-related premium.
(7) Paragraph (9) applies where—
(a)one member of the couple does not meet the PIP refusal condition,
(b)the other member (B) meets the PIP refusal condition, and
(c)B meets the blind condition on the transition date.
(8) The blind condition is that the person is certified as severely sight impaired or blind by a consultant ophthalmologist.
(9) Where this paragraph applies, the termination of disability-related premium condition is met if, in consequence of the matters set out in paragraph (7), the decision of the Department to award severe disability premium at a higher rate is superseded by a decision of the Department to award severe disability premium at a lower rate.
(10) Where a joint-claim couple are entitled to welfare supplementary payment under this regulation, payment must be to the person who is the nominated member in accordance with Article 5 of the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995.
(11) In this regulation “joint-claim couple” has the same meaning as in the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995.
Paragraph 20I was amended by regulation 5(4)(b) of S.R. 2002 No. 80, regulation 3 of S.R. 2002 No. 323, regulation 3(8)(j) of S.R. 2007 No. 154, regulation 5(3)(b) of S.R. 2011 No. 291, Article 17(7)(h) of 2013/3021 and regulation 3(2)(e) of S.R. 2014 No. 275