State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002

The Social Security Fraud Act (Northern Ireland) 2001

32.  The Social Security Fraud Act (Northern Ireland) 2001 (c. 17) is amended as follows.

33.  In section 6 (loss of benefit for commission of benefit offences)—

(a) after subsection (4) (cases where sanctionable benefit is jobseeker’s allowance) insert—

“(4A) The Department may by regulations provide that, where the sanctionable benefit is state pension credit, the benefit shall be payable in the offender’s case for any period comprised in the disqualification period as if the rate of the benefit were reduced in such manner as may be prescribed.”;

(b) in subsection (8) (interpretation)—

(i) in the definition of “disqualifying benefit”, after paragraph (a) insert—

“(aa) any benefit under the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 or the State Pension Credit Act 2002;”;

(ii) in the definition of “sanctionable benefit”, after paragraph (a) insert—

“(aa) any benefit under the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002;”.

34.  In section 8 (effect of offence on benefits for members of offender’s family)—

(a) in subsection (1) (benefits to which section applies) after paragraph (b) insert—

“(bb) state pension credit;”;

(b) after subsection (4) (reduction of jobseeker’s allowance) insert—

“(4A) In relation to cases in which the benefit is state pension credit, the provision that may be made by virtue of subsection (2) is provision that, in the case of the offender’s family member, the benefit shall be payable for the whole or any part of any period comprised in the relevant period as if the rate of the benefit were reduced in such manner as may be prescribed.”.

35.  In section 9(3) (power to supplement and mitigate loss of benefit provisions), after paragraph (b) insert—

“(bb) any benefit under the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 or the State Pension Credit Act 2002;”.

36.  In section 10(3) (loss of benefit regulations), in paragraph (c)—

(a) after “section 6(4)” insert “, (4A)”;

(b) after “or 8(4)” insert “, (4A)”.

37.  In section 12 (interpretation) after the definition of “sanctionable benefit” insert—

““state pension credit” means state pension credit under the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002;”.