The Social Security (Northern Ireland) Order 1998

Pilot schemes

73.—(1) Any regulations to which this paragraph applies may be made so as to have effect for a specified period not exceeding 12 months.

(2) Any regulations which, by virtue of paragraph (1), are to have effect for a limited period are referred to in this Article as “a pilot scheme”.

(3) A pilot scheme may provide that its provisions are to apply only in relation to—

(a) one or more specified areas or localities;

(b) one or more specified classes of person;

(c) persons selected—

(i) by reference to prescribed criteria; or

(ii) on a sampling basis.

(4) A pilot scheme may make consequential or transitional provision with respect to the cessation of the scheme on the expiry of the specified period.

(5) A pilot scheme (“the previous scheme”) may be replaced by a further pilot scheme making the same, or similar, provision (apart from the specified period) to that made by the previous scheme.

(6) In so far as a pilot scheme would, apart from this paragraph, have the effect of—

(a) treating as capable of work any person who would not otherwise be so treated; or

(b) reducing the total amount of benefit that would otherwise be payable to any person,

it shall not apply in relation to that person.

(7) Paragraph (1) applies to—

(a) regulations made under section 167D of the Contributions and Benefits Act (incapacity for work: persons to be treated as incapable or capable of work); and

(b) in so far as they are consequential on or supplementary to any such regulations, regulations made under any of the provisions mentioned in paragraph (8).

(8) The provisions are—

(a) subsection (5)(a) of section 22 of the Contributions and Benefits Act (earnings factors);

(b) section 30C of that Act (incapacity benefit: days and periods of incapacity for work);

(c) sections 68 and 69 of that Act (severe disablement allowance);

(d) subsection (1)(e) of section 123 of that Act (income support) and, so far as relating to income support, subsection (1) of section 131 of that Act (the applicable amount);

(e) Part XIIA of that Act (incapacity for work);

(f) section 59A of the Administration Act and Article 31 (incapacity for work).