Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992

138 Meaning of “child”

(1) For the purposes of this Part of this Act a person shall be treated as a child for any week in which—

(a) he is under the age of 16;

(b) he is under the age of 18 and not receiving full-time education and prescribed conditions are satisfied in relation to him; or

(c) he is under the age of 19 and receiving full-time education either by attendance at a recognised educational establishment or, if the education is recognised by the Department, elsewhere.

(2) The Department may recognise education provided otherwise than at a recognised educational establishment for a person who, in the opinion of the Department, could reasonably be expected to attend such an establishment only if the Department is satisfied that education was being so provided for that person immediately before he attained the age of 16.

(3) Regulations may prescribe the circumstances in which education is or is not to be treated for the purposes of this Part of this Act as full-time.

(4) In determining for the purposes of paragraph (c) of subsection (1) above whether a person is receiving full-time education as mentioned in that paragraph, no account shall be taken of such interruptions as may be prescribed.

(5) Regulations may provide that a person who in any week ceases to fall within subsection (1) above shall be treated as continuing to do so for a prescribed period; but no person shall by virtue of any such regulations be treated as continuing to fall within that subsection for any week after that in which he attains the age of 19.