The Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1998

Suspension and termination of benefit

Suspension in prescribed circumstances

21.—(1) Regulations may provide for—

(a) suspending payments of a relevant benefit, in whole or in part, in prescribed circumstances;

(b) the subsequent making in prescribed circumstances of any or all of the payments so suspended.

(2) Regulations made under paragraph (1) may, in particular, make provision for any case where—

(a) it appears to the Department that an issue arises whether the conditions for entitlement to a relevant benefit are or were fulfilled;

(b) it appears to the Department that an issue arises whether a decision as to an award of a relevant benefit should be revised (under Article 10) or superseded (under Article 11);

(c) an appeal is pending against a decision of an appeal tribunal, a Commissioner or a court; or

(d) an appeal is pending against the decision given in a different case by a Commissioner or a court, and it appears to the Department that if the appeal were to be determined in a particular way an issue would arise whether the award of a relevant benefit (whether the same benefit or not) in the case itself ought to be revised or superseded.

(3) For the purposes of paragraph (2), an appeal against a decision is pending if—

(a) an appeal against the decision has been brought but not determined;

(b) an application for leave to appeal against the decision has been made but not determined; or

(c) in such circumstances as may be prescribed, an appeal against the decision has not been brought (or, as the case may be, an application for leave to appeal against the decision has not been made) but the time for doing so has not yet expired.

(4) Any reference in this Article or Article 24 or 25 to a relevant benefit includes a reference to statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay.

Suspension and termination for failure to furnish information, etc.

22.—(1) The powers conferred by this Article are exercisable in relation to persons who fail to comply with information requirements.

(2) Regulations may provide for—

(a) suspending payments of a relevant benefit, in whole or in part;

(b) the subsequent making in prescribed circumstances of any or all of the payments so suspended.

(3) In this Article and Article 23 “information requirement” means a requirement, made in pursuance of regulations under subsection (1)(hh) of section 5 of the Administration Act, to furnish information or evidence needed for a determination whether a decision on an award of benefit to which that section applies should be revised under Article 10 or superseded under Article 11.

Termination in cases of failure to furnish information

23.  Regulations may provide that, except in prescribed cases or circumstances, a person—

(a) whose benefit has been suspended in accordance with regulations under Article 21 and who subsequently fails to comply with an information requirement; or

(b) whose benefit has been suspended in accordance with regulations under Article 22 for failing to comply with such a requirement,

shall cease to be entitled to the benefit from a date not earlier than the date on which payments were suspended.

Suspension and termination for failure to submit to medical examination

24.  Regulations may make provision—

(a) enabling the Department to require a person to whom a relevant benefit has been awarded to submit to medical examination;

(b) for suspending payments of benefit, in whole or in part, in a case of a person who fails to submit himself to a medical examination to which he is required to submit in accordance with regulations under paragraph (a);

(c) for the subsequent making in prescribed circumstances of any or all of the payments so suspended;

(d) for entitlement to the benefit to cease, except in prescribed cases or circumstances, from a date not earlier than the date on which payments were suspended.