Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992

47 Increase of Category A retirement pension for invalidity

(1) Subject to section 61 below, the weekly rate of a Category A retirement pension shall be increased if the pensioner was entitled to an invalidity allowance in respect of—

(a) any day falling within the period of 8 weeks ending immediately before the day on which he attains pensionable age; or

(b) the last day before the beginning of that period;

and the increase shall, subject to subsection (2) below, be of an amount equal to the appropriate weekly rate of the invalidity allowance on that day.

(2) Where for any period the weekly rate of a Category A retirement pension includes an additional pension, for that period the relevant amount shall be deducted from the amount that would otherwise be the increase under subsection (1) above and the pensioner shall be entitled to an increase under that subsection only if there is a balance remaining after that deduction and, if there is such a balance, of an amount equal to it.

(3) In subsection (2) above the “relevant amount” means an amount equal to the additional pension, reduced by the amount of any reduction in the weekly rate of the Category A retirement pension made by virtue of Article 31 of the Pensions Order.

(4) In this section any reference to an additional pension is a reference to that pension after any increase under section 52(3) below but without any increase under paragraphs 1 and 2 of Schedule 5 to this Act.

(5) In ascertaining for the purposes of subsection (1) above the rate of a pensioner’s invalidity allowance, regard shall be had to the rates in force from time to time.

(6) Regulations may provide that subsection (1) above shall have effect as if for the reference to 8 weeks there were substituted a reference to a larger number of weeks specified in the regulations.