The Social Security Pensions (Home Responsibilities) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1994

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These regulations consolidate, with amendments, provisions contained in the Social Security Pensions (Home Responsibilities and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1978, (“the 1978 Regulations”) relating to the contribution conditions for entitlement to retirement pension applicable to persons who have home responsibilities. The amendments are contained in:

• regulation 2(1)(b) and (c) which relax the conditions subject to which a person may qualify for home responsibilities protection;

• regulation 2(6) which makes new provision for protection to be afforded to certain married women and widows who, prior to 6th April 1975, had elected to pay Class 1 national insurance contributions at the reduced rate.

The regulations revoke regulations 1(2) and 2 of the 1978 Regulations, the Social Security Pensions (Home Responsibilities) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1981, the Social Security Pensions (Home Responsibilities) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1988 and regulation 3 of the Disability Living Allowance and Disability Working Allowance (Consequential Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1992.

These regulations make in relation to Northern Ireland only provision corresponding to provision contained in regulations made by the Secretary of State for Social Security in relation to Great Britain and accordingly, by virtue of section 149(3) of, and paragraph 10 of Schedule 5 to, the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 8), are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.