Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992

102 Recovery of expenditure on income support: additional amounts and transfer of orders

(1) In any case where—

(a) the claim for income support referred to in section 101(1) above is or was made by the parent of one or more children in respect of both himself and those children; and

(b) the other parent is liable to maintain those children but, by virtue of not being the claimant’s husband or wife, is not liable to maintain the claimant,

the sum which the court may order that other parent to pay under subsection (4) of that section may include an amount, determined in accordance with regulations, in respect of any income support paid to or for the claimant by virtue of such provisions as may be prescribed.

(2) Where the sum which a court orders a person to pay under section 101 above includes by virtue of subsection (1) above an amount (in this section referred to as a “personal allowance element”) in respect of income support by virtue of paragraph 1(2) of Schedule 2 to the [S.R. (N.I.) 1987 No. 459.] Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (personal allowance for lone parent) the order shall separately identify the amount of the personal allowance element.

(3) In any case where—

(a) there is in force an order under subsection (4) of section 101 above made against a person (“the liable parent”) who is the parent of one or more children, in respect of the other parent or the children; and

(b) payments under the order fall to be made to the Department by virtue of subsection (6)(a) of that section; and

(c) that other parent (“the dependent parent”) ceases to claim income support,

the Department may, by giving notice in writing to the court which made the order and to the liable parent and the dependent parent, transfer to the dependent parent the right to receive the payments under the order, exclusive of any personal allowance element, and to exercise the relevant rights in relation to the order, except so far as relating to that element.

(4) Notice under subsection (3) above shall not be given (and if purportedly given, shall be of no effect) at a time when there is in force a maintenance order made against the liable parent—

(a) in favour of the dependent parent or one or more of the children; or

(b) in favour of some other person for the benefit of the dependent parent or one or more of the children;

and if such a maintenance order is made at any time after notice under that subsection has been given, the order under section 101(4) above shall cease to have effect.

(5) Except as provided by subsections (7) and (8) below, where the Department gives notice under subsection (3) above, it shall cease to be entitled—

(a) to receive any payment under the order in respect of any personal allowance element; or

(b) to exercise the relevant rights, so far as relating to any such element,

notwithstanding that the dependent parent does not become entitled to receive any payment in respect of that element or to exercise the relevant rights so far as so relating.

(6) If, in a case where the Department gives notice under subsection (3) above, a payment under the order is or has been made to the Department wholly or partly in respect of the whole or any part of the period beginning with the day on which the transfer takes effect and ending with the day on which the notice under subsection (3) above is given to the liable parent, the Department shall—

(a) repay to or for the liable parent so much of the payment as is referable to any personal allowance element in respect of that period or, as the case may be, the part of it in question; and

(b) pay to or for the dependent parent so much of any remaining balance of the payment as is referable to that period or part;

and a payment under paragraph (b) above shall be taken to discharge, to that extent, the liability of the liable parent to the dependent parent under the order in respect of that period or part.

(7) If, in a case where the Department has given notice under subsection (3) above, the dependent parent makes a further claim for income support, then—

(a) the Department may, by giving a further notice in writing to the court which made the order and to the liable parent and the dependent parent, transfer back from the dependent parent to the Department the right to receive the payments and to exercise the relevant rights; and

(b) that transfer shall revive the Department’s right to receive payment under the order in respect of any personal allowance element and to exercise the relevant rights so far as relating to any such element.

(8) A transfer under subsection (3) or (7) above does not transfer or otherwise affect the right of any person—

(a) to receive a payment which fell due to him at a time before the transfer took effect; or

(b) to exercise the relevant rights in relation to any such payment;

and, where notice is given under subsection (3), subsection (5) above does not deprive the Department of its right to receive such a payment in respect of any personal allowance element or to exercise the relevant rights in relation to such a payment.

(9) For the purposes of this section—

(a) a transfer under subsection (3) above takes effect on the day on which the dependent parent ceases to be in receipt of income support in consequence of the cessation referred to in paragraph (c) of that subsection, and

(b) a transfer under subsection (7) above takes effect on—

(i) the first day in respect of which the dependent parent receives income support after the transfer under subsection (3) above took effect, or

(ii) such later day as may be specified for the purpose in the notice under subsection (7),

irrespective of the day on which notice under the subsection in question is given.

(10) In this section—

• “child” means a person under the age of 16, notwithstanding section 74(6)(d) above;

• “court” shall be construed in accordance with section 101 above;

• “maintenance order” means an order for the making of periodical payments or the payment of a lump sum under any statutory provision prescribed for the purposes of this subsection;

• “the relevant rights”, in relation to an order under section 101(4) above, means the right to bring any proceedings, take any steps or do any other thing under or in relation to the order which the Department could have brought, taken or done apart from any transfer under this section.