EntitlementN.I.
1.—(1) A social security benefit to be known as state pension credit shall be payable in accordance with the following provisions of this Act.
(2) A claimant is entitled to state pension credit if—
(a)he is in Northern Ireland;
(b)he has attained the qualifying age; and
(c)he satisfies—
(i)the condition in section 2(1) (guarantee credit); or
(ii)the conditions in section 3(1) and (2) (savings credit).
(3) A claimant who is entitled to state pension credit is entitled—
(a)to a guarantee credit, calculated in accordance with section 2, if he satisfies the condition in subsection (1) of that section; or
(b)to a savings credit, calculated in accordance with section 3, if he satisfies the conditions in subsections (1) and (2) of that section,
(or to both, if he satisfies both the condition mentioned in paragraph (a) and the conditions mentioned in paragraph (b)).
(4) Subsections (2) and (3) are subject to the following provisions of this Act.
(5) Regulations may make provision for the purposes of this Act—
(a)as to circumstances in which a person is to be treated as being or not being in Northern Ireland; or
(b)continuing a person's entitlement to state pension credit during periods of temporary absence from Northern Ireland.
(6) In this Act “the qualifying age” means—
(a)in the case of a woman, pensionable age; or
(b)in the case of a man, the age which is pensionable age in the case of a woman born on the same day as the man.