The Social Security Administration (Fraud) (Northern Ireland) Order 1997

Reviews and medical examinations

Reviews initiated by Department

16.—(1) In section 28 of the Administration Act (reviews of decisions about attendance allowance, disability living allowance or disability working allowance), after subsection (7) insert—

“(7A) The Department may undertake investigations to obtain information and evidence for the purposes of making applications under subsection (7) above.”.

(2) In section 30(4)(b) of that Act (consideration on review of questions about component for life where information is available to give grounds for believing it ought not to continue), for “information is available to the adjudication officer” substitute “there has been supplied to the adjudication officer by the Department, or is otherwise available to him, information”.

Medical examinations of persons awarded certain benefits

17.  After section 55 of the Administration Act insert—

“Medical examinations

Medical examinations of persons awarded attendance allowance or disability living allowance.

55A.   Regulations may make provision—

(a) enabling the Department to require a person to whom attendance allowance or disability living allowance has been awarded to submit to medical examination in prescribed circumstances;

(b) for withholding payments of benefit in prescribed circumstances where a person has failed to submit himself to a medical examination to which he has been required to submit in accordance with regulations under paragraph (a) above; and

(c) for the subsequent making in prescribed circumstances of payments withheld in accordance with regulations under paragraph (b) above.”.