The Social Security (Child Maintenance Premium) Amendment Regulations 2004

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Child Maintenance Premium) Amendment Regulations 2004 and shall come into force in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3) below.

(2) This regulation and regulation 4 shall come into force on 16th February 2004.

(3) Regulations 2 and 3 shall come into force—

(a) on 16th February 2004 in relation to any particular case in respect of which type of case section 23 of the 2000 Act(1) has before 16th February 2004 come into force;

(b) where sub-paragraph (a) does not apply, in relation to any particular case, on the date on which section 23 of the 2000 Act comes into force in relation to that type of case;

(c) in relation to a person who, on or after 16th February 2004—

(i) makes a claim for income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance; and

(ii) on or after the date of that claim receives any payment of child maintenance made voluntarily,

on 16th February 2004; or

(d) in relation to a person who—

(i) on 16th February 2004 is entitled to income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance; and

(ii) on or after 16th February 2004 receives any payment of child maintenance made voluntarily and that payment is the first payment of child maintenance received by that person whilst he is entitled to income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance,

on 16th February 2004 if a payment referred to in head (ii) is received on that day, or on the day on which such a payment is received where it is received after 16th February 2004.

(4) In this regulation—

“the 1991 Act” means the Child Support Act 1991(2);

“the 2000 Act” means the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000;

“child maintenance” shall have the same meaning as that prescribed for the purposes of section 74A(3) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992;

“an income-based jobseeker’s allowance” has the meaning given by section 1(4) of the Jobseekers Act 1995(4);

“payment of child maintenance made voluntarily” means any payment of child maintenance other than such a payment made—

(a)

under a court order;

(b)

under a maintenance assessment made under the 1991 Act prior to its amendment by the 2000 Act or under a maintenance calculation made under the 1991 Act after its amendment by the 2000 Act;

(c)

under an agreement for maintenance;

(d)

in accordance with section 28J of the 1991 Act(5) (voluntary payments); or

(e)

by the Secretary of State in lieu of child maintenance, including any payment made by the Secretary of State under section 27 of the 2000 Act (temporary compensation payment scheme).

Amendment of the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987

2.  For paragraph 73 of Schedule 9 to the Income Support (General) Regulations 1987(6) (sums to be disregarded in the calculation of income other than earnings) there shall be substituted the following paragraph—

“73.— (1) Subject to sub-paragraph (3), any payment of child maintenance where the child or young person in respect of whom the payment is made is a member of the claimant’s family except where the person making the payment is the claimant or the claimant’s partner.

(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), where more than one payment of child maintenance—

(a) in respect of more than one child or young person; or

(b) made by more than one person in respect of a child or young person,

falls to be taken into account in any week, all such payments shall be aggregated and treated as if they were a single payment.

(3) No more than £10 shall be disregarded in respect of each week to which any payment of child maintenance is attributed in accordance with regulations 28, 29, 31 and 32(7) (calculation of income) or regulations 60B to 60D(8) (treatment of child support maintenance).

(4) In this paragraph, “child maintenance” shall have the same meaning as that prescribed for the purposes of section 74A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992(9) (payment of benefit where maintenance payments collected by Secretary of State) and shall include any payment made by the Secretary of State in lieu of such maintenance.”.

Amendment of the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996

3.  For paragraph 70 of Schedule 7 to the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations 1996(10) (sums to be disregarded in the calculation of income other than earnings) there shall be substituted the following paragraph—

“70.— (1) Subject to sub-paragraph (3), any payment of child maintenance where the child or young person in respect of whom the payment is made is a member of the claimant’s family except where the person making the payment is the claimant or the claimant’s partner.

(2) For the purposes of sub-paragraph (1), where more than one payment of child maintenance—

(a) in respect of more than one child or young person; or

(b) made by more than one person in respect of a child or young person,

falls to be taken into account in any week, all such payments shall be aggregated and treated as if they were a single payment.

(3) No more than £10 shall be disregarded in respect of each week to which any payment of child maintenance is attributed in accordance with regulations 93, 94, 96 and 97(11) (calculation of income) or regulations 126, 128 and 129(12) (treatment of child support maintenance).

(4) In this paragraph, “child maintenance” shall have the same meaning as that prescribed for the purposes of section 74A of the Administration Act and shall include any payment made by the Secretary of State in lieu of such maintenance.”.

Amendment of the Social Security (Child Maintenance Premium and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2000

4.—(1) For regulation 1 of the Social Security (Child Maintenance Premium and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2000(13) (citation and commencement) there shall be substituted the following regulation—

“Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.— (1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Child Maintenance Premium and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2000 and shall come into force—

(a) in relation to any particular case, on the date on which section 23 of the 2000 Act comes into force in relation to that type of case (“the commencement date”);

(b) in relation to a person who, on or after 16th February 2004—

(i) makes a claim for income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance; and

(ii) on or after the date of that claim receives any payment of child maintenance made voluntarily,

on 16th February 2004; or

(c) in relation to a person who—

(i) on 16th February 2004 is entitled to income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance; and

(ii) on or after 16th February 2004 receives any payment of child maintenance made voluntarily and that payment is the first payment of child maintenance received by that person whilst he is entitled to income support or an income-based jobseeker’s allowance,

on 16th February 2004 if a payment referred to in head (ii) above is received on that day, or on the day on which such a payment is received where it is received after 16th February 2004.

(2) In this regulation—

“the 1991 Act” means the Child Support Act 1991;

“the 2000 Act” means the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000;

“child maintenance” shall have the same meaning as that prescribed for the purposes of section 74A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992;

“an income-based jobseeker’s allowance” has the meaning given by section 1(4) of the Jobseekers Act 1995;

“payment of child maintenance made voluntarily” means any payment of child maintenance other than such a payment made—

(a)

under a court order;

(b)

under a maintenance assessment made under the 1991 Act prior to its amendment by the 2000 Act or under a maintenance calculation made under the 1991 Act after its amendment by the 2000 Act;

(c)

under an agreement for maintenance;

(d)

in accordance with section 28J of the 1991 Act; or

(e)

by the Secretary of State in lieu of child maintenance, including any payment made by the Secretary of State under section 27 of the 2000 Act.”.

(2) In regulation 2 of the Social Security (Child Maintenance Premium and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2000 (child maintenance: income support and jobseeker’s allowance) paragraphs (1)(b) and (2)(b) shall be omitted.

Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions.

P.Hollis

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State,

Department for Work and Pensions

15th January 2004