Social Security Administration Act 1992

Part XV Miscellaneous

Travelling expenses

180 Payment of travelling expenses by Secretary of State

The Secretary of State may pay such travelling expenses as, with the consent of the Treasury, he may determine—

(a) to persons required by him to attend any interview in connection with the operation of the Contributions and Benefits Act or this Act;

(b) to persons attending local offices in connection with the operation—

(i) of the Contributions and Benefits Act or this Act; or

(ii) of any prescribed enactment.

Offences

181 Impersonation of officers

If any person, with intent to deceive, falsely represents himself to be a person authorised by the Secretary of State for Social Security to act in any capacity (whether under this Act or otherwise) he shall be guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale.

182 Illegal possession of documents.

(1) If any person—

(a) as a pledge or a security for a debt; or

(b) with a view to obtaining payment from the person entitled to it of a debt due either to himself or to any other person,

receives, detains or has in his possession any document issued by or on behalf of the Secretary of State for Social Security in connection with any benefit, pension or allowance (whether payable under the Contributions and Benefits Act or otherwise) he shall be guilty of an offence.

(2) If any such person has such a document in his possession without lawful authority or excuse (the proof whereof shall lie on him) he shall be guilty of an offence.

(3) A person guilty of an offence under this section shall be liable on summary conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 3 months or to a fine not exceeding level 4 on the standard scale or to both.

Industrial injuries and diseases

183 Research on industrial injuries, etc

(1) The Secretary of State may promote research into the causes and incidence of accidents arising out of and in the course of employment, or injuries and diseases which—

(a) are due to the nature of employment; or

(b) it is contemplated might be prescribed for the purposes of sections 108 to 110 of the Contributions and Benefits Act,

either by himself employing persons to conduct such research or by contributing to the expenses of, or otherwise assisting, other persons engaged in such research.

(2) The Secretary of State may pay to persons so employed by him such salaries or remuneration, and such travelling and other allowances, as he may determine with the consent of the Treasury.

184 Control of pneumoconiosis

As respects pneumoconiosis, regulations may provide—

(a) for requiring persons to be medically examined before, or within a prescribed period after, becoming employed in any occupation in relation to which pneumoconiosis is prescribed, and to be medically examined periodically while so employed, and to furnish information required for the purposes of any such examination;

(b) for suspending from employment in any such occupation, and in such other occupations as may be prescribed, persons found on such an examination—

(i) to be suffering from pneumoconiosis or tuberculosis, or

(ii) to be unsuitable for such employment, having regard to the risk of pneumoconiosis and such other matters affecting their susceptibility to pneumoconiosis as may be prescribed;

(c) for the disqualification for the receipt of benefit as defined in section 122 of the Contributions and Benefits Act in respect of pneumoconiosis of any person who fails without good cause to submit himself to any such examination or to furnish information required by the regulations or who engages in any employment from which he has been suspended as mentioned in paragraph (b) above;

(d) for requiring employers—

(i) to provide facilities for such examinations,

(ii) not to employ in any occupation a person who has been suspended as mentioned in paragraph (b) above from employment in that occupation or who has failed without good cause to submit himself to such an examination,

(iii) to give to such officer as may be prescribed the prescribed notice of the commencement of any prescribed industry or process;

(e) for the recovery on summary conviction of monetary penalties in respect of any contravention of or failure to comply with any such requirement as is mentioned in paragraph (d) above, so, however, that such penalties shall not exceed £5.00 for every day on which the contravention or failure occurs or continues;

(f) for such matters as appear to the Secretary of State to be incidental to or consequential on provisions included in the regulations by virtue of paragraphs (a) to (d) above or section 110(1) of the Contributions and Benefits Act.

Workmen’s compensation etc.

185 Administration of workmen’s compensation etc

(1) Schedule 9 to this Act shall have effect in relation to schemes under paragraphs 2 and 4 of Schedule 8 to the Contributions and Benefits Act.

(2) Regulations may provide for applying in relation to payments under Part II of that Schedule the provisions of this Act relating to the making of claims and the determination of claims and questions in so far as those provisions apply in relation to—

(a) an unemployability supplement;

(b) an increase of a disablement pension in respect of a child or adult dependant; or

(c) an increase of a disablement pension in respect of the need for constant attendance or exceptionally severe disablement,

(as the case may be) subject to any additions or modifications.

Supplementary benefit etc.

186 Application of provisions of Act to supplementary benefit etc

Schedule 10 to this Act shall have effect for the purpose of making provision in relation to the benefits there mentioned.

Miscellaneous

187 Certain benefit to be inalienable

(1) Subject to the provisions of this Act, every assignment of or charge on—

(a) benefit as defined in section 122 of the Contributions and Benefits Act;

(b) any income-related benefit; or

(c) child benefit,

and every agreement to assign or charge such benefit shall be void; and, on the bankruptcy of a beneficiary, such benefit shall not pass to any trustee or other person acting on behalf of his creditors.

(2) In the application of subsection (1) above to Scotland—

(a) the reference to assignment of benefit shall be read as a reference to assignation, “assign” being construed accordingly;

(b) the reference to a beneficiary’s bankruptcy shall be read as a reference to the sequestration of his estate or the appointment on his estate of a judicial factor under section 41 of the [1980 c. 46.] Solicitors (Scotland) Act 1980.

(3) In calculating for the purposes of section 5 of the [1869 c. 62.] Debtors Act 1869 or section 4 of the [1882 c. 42.] Civil Imprisonment (Scotland) Act 1882 the means of any beneficiary, no account shall be taken of any increase of disablement benefit in respect of a child or of industrial death benefit.

188 Exemption from stamp duty

(1) Stamp duty shall not be chargeable on any document to which this subsection applies.

(2) Subsection (1) above applies to any document authorised by virtue—

(a) of Parts I to VI of the Contributions and Benefits Act; or

(b) of any provision of this Act so far as it operates in relation to matters to which those Parts relate,

or otherwise required in order to give effect to those Parts or to any such provision so far as it so operates or in connection with any description of business thereunder.

(3) Stamp duty shall not be chargeable—

(a) upon such documents used in connection with business under paragraphs 2 and 3 of Schedule 8 to the Contributions and Benefits Act and paragraph 1 of Schedule 9 to this Act as may be specified in a scheme made under paragraph 2 of Schedule 8 to the Contributions and Benefits Act; or

(b) upon such documents used in connection with business under paragraphs 4 to 6 of that Schedule and paragraph 2 of Schedule 9 to this Act as may be specified in a scheme made under paragraph 4 of Schedule 8 to the Contributions and Benefits Act.