A person desiring to obtain the decision of the Department on any of the questions mentioned in section 15(1) of the Administration Act (including those to which that section applies by virtue of section 16.5(1) of the Pension Schemes (Northern Ireland) Act 19937) shall deliver or send to the Department an application for the purpose in writing in a form approved by it.

The Department shall take steps to bring any such application to the notice of any person appearing to it to be interested in the application and to obtain from such person such particulars within such time and in such form as it considers reasonably necessary for the proper determination of the question.

An application for a decision of the Department shall not be made otherwise than by a person interested or, in the case of an application relating to statutory sick pay or statutory maternity pay, by an inspector appointed under section 104 of the Administration Act.

Nothing in paragraph (1) or (3) shall affect any right or obligation under the Acts or regulations made under the Acts to refer any question to the Department.