EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations amend child support regulations.
Regulation 2 inserts a new regulation 68A into the Child Support Maintenance Calculation Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012. The new regulation makes provision for specified assets to be calculated as having a weekly value which is taken into account in order to vary a maintenance calculation. The weekly value of the asset is treated as additional income of the non-resident parent. Virtual currencies which are capable of being traded for conventional currencies are assets for the purposes of the new regulation. Not all virtual currencies are capable of being traded in this way. Some are closed currencies which exist only within virtual communities, and have no link to real economies.
Regulation 3 makes amendments to the Child Support (Collection and Enforcement) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992 and provides for the application of regular deduction orders and lump sum deduction orders to joint accounts. Such provision also extends the application of lump sum deduction orders to sole trader accounts and applies both orders to partnership accounts. In each of these cases, the person against whom one of these orders may be made will be an account-holder of the relevant account.
Regulation 4 makes amendments to the Child Support (Management of Payments and Arrears) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2009. It provides additional circumstances in which the Department may exercise the power to write off arrears in section 38E of the Child Support (Northern Ireland) Order 1991.
Regulation 5 revokes the Child Support (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2018 (S.R. 2018 No. 210).