http://www.legislation.gov.uk/nisr/1998/112The Social Security (Amendment) (Lone Parents) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998Income supportLone parentsHousing benefitBenefitsBenefits for parents and childrenHOUSING; RATES; SOCIAL SECURITYStatute Law Database2025-10-30Expert Participation2006-11-20 These Regulations amend the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (“the Income Support Regulations”), the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (“the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations”) and the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987. They also revoke the Social Security (Lone Parents) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 (regulation 2). 1998 No. 112 HOUSING; RATES; SOCIAL SECURITY The Social Security (Amendment) (Lone Parents) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 Made 18th March 1998 Coming into operation 6th April 1998 The Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by sections 122(1)(a) and (d), 129(2) and (4), 131(1), 132(4)(b), 133(2)(i) and 171(1), (3) and (4) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 and Articles 6(5), 14(2) and (4)(b) and 36(2) of the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, with the consent of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland in so far as relates to regulations 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of these Regulations, and without having referred any proposals on the matter to the Social Security Advisory Committee since it appears to the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland that by reason of the urgency of the matter it is inexpedient to do so, hereby makes the following Regulations: Citation, commencement and interpretation11These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Amendment) (Lone Parents) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 and, subject to paragraph 2, shall come into operation on 6th April 1998.2To the extent that Regulation 4(c) of the Housing Benefit (General) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1998 comes into operation on 6th April 1998, regulation 5 of these Regulations shall come into operation immediately after that regulation 4(c).3In these Regulations—...“the Income Support Regulations” means the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987;“the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations” means the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996;“the Up-rating Order” means the Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order (Northern Ireland) 19984The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954 shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to a Measure of the Northern Ireland Assembly.Revocation2The Social Security (Lone Parents) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 are hereby revoked.Housing benefit: students who are treated as liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Housing benefit: exclusions from reductions in the amounts of eligible rent relating to students4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Housing benefit: amendment of provisions relating to family premium5. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Housing benefit: disregard of certain sums in the calculation of a lone parent’s earnings6. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Housing benefit: conditions for an extended payment7. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Income support: amendment of provisions relating to family premium8In Schedule 2 to the Income Support Regulations (applicable amounts), paragraph 3 (family premium) shall be renumbered paragraph 3(1) and—ain the renumbered sub-paragraph (1)(a) after “lone parent” there shall be inserted “to whom the conditions in both sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) apply”;bafter sub-paragraph (1) there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraphs—2The first condition for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(a) is that the claimant—awas both a lone parent and entitled to income support on 5th April 1998; orbdoes not come within head (a) but—iwas both a lone parent and entitled to income support on any day during the period of 12 weeks ending on 5th April 1998;iiwas both a lone parent and entitled to income support on any day during the period of 12 weeks commencing on and including 6th April 1998, andiiithe last day in respect of which paragraph (i) applied was no more than 12 weeks before the first day in respect of which paragraph (ii) applied.3The second condition for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(a) is that as from and including the appropriate date specified in sub-paragraph (4), the claimant has continued, subject to sub-paragraph (5), to be both a lone parent and entitled to income support.4The appropriate date for the purposes of sub-paragraph (3) is—ain a case to which sub-paragraph (2)(a) applies, 6th April 1998;bin a case to which sub-paragraph (2)(b) applies, the first day in respect of which sub-paragraph (2)(b)(ii) applied.5For the purposes of sub-paragraph (3), where the claimant has ceased, for any period of 12 weeks or less, to be—aa lone parent;bentitled to income support; orcboth a lone parent and entitled to income support,the claimant shall be treated, on again becoming both a lone parent and entitled to income support, as having continued to be both a lone parent and entitled to income support throughout that period.6In determining whether the conditions in sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) apply, entitlement to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance shall be treated as entitlement to income support for the purposes of any requirement that a person is entitled to income support..Income support: disregard of certain sums in the calculation of a lone parent’s earnings9In Schedule 8 to the Income Support Regulations, for paragraph 5 (disregard of certain sums in the calculation of a lone parent’s earnings) there shall be substituted the following paragraph—5In a case where the claimant is a lone parent and paragraph 4 does not apply, £15..Jobseeker’s allowance: amendment of provisions relating to family premium10In Schedule 1 to the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (applicable amounts), paragraph 4 (family premium) shall be renumbered paragraph 4(1) and—ain the renumbered sub-paragraph (1)(a)—iafter “lone parent” there shall be inserted “to whom the conditions in both sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) apply”;ii“11,” shall be omitted;bafter sub-paragraph (1) there shall be inserted the following sub-paragraphs—2The first condition for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(a) is that the claimant—awas both a lone parent and entitled to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance on 5th April 1998, orbdoes not come within head (a) but—iwas both a lone parent and entitled to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance on any day during the period of 12 weeks ending on 5th April 1998;iiwas both a lone parent and entitled to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance on any day during the period of 12 weeks commencing on and including 6th April 1998, andiiithe last day in respect of which paragraph (i) applied was no more than 12 weeks before the first day in respect of which paragraph (ii) applied.3The second condition for the purposes of sub-paragraph (1)(a) is that as from and including the appropriate date specified in sub-paragraph (4), the claimant has continued, subject to sub-paragraph (5), to be both a lone parent and entitled to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance.4The appropriate date for the purposes of sub-paragraph (3) is—ain a case to which sub-paragraph (2)(a) applies, 6th April 1998;bin a case to which sub-paragraph (2)(b) applies, the first day in respect of which sub-paragraph (2)(b)(ii) applied.5For the purposes of sub-paragraph (3), where the claimant has ceased, for any period of 12 weeks or less, to be—aa lone parent;bentitled to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance, orcboth a lone parent and entitled to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance,the claimant shall be treated, on again becoming both a lone parent and entitled to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance, as having continued to be both a lone parent and entitled to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance throughout that period.6In determining whether the conditions in sub-paragraphs (2) and (3) apply, entitlement to income support shall be treated as entitlement to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance for the purposes of any requirement that a person is entitled to an income-based jobseeker’s allowance..Jobseeker’s allowance: disregard of certain sums in the calculation of a lone parent’s earnings11In Schedule 5 to the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations, for paragraph 6 (disregard of certain sums in the calculation of a lone parent’s earnings) there shall be substituted the following paragraph—6In a case where the claimant is a lone parent and paragraph 5 does not apply, £15..Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Health and Social Services for Northern Ireland onJohn O'NeillAssistant Secretary18th March 1998.The Department of the Environment hereby consents to regulations 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the foregoing Regulations.Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland onJ. RitchieAssistant Secretary18th March 1998. (This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations amend the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (“the Income Support Regulations”), the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996 (“the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations”) and the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987. They also revoke the Social Security (Lone Parents) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1997 (regulation 2).

In particular, these Regulations prescribe the circumstances in which the applicable amount of a claimant for housing benefit, income support and income-based jobseeker’s allowance who is a lone parent, will include the lone parent rate of family premium (regulations 5, 8 and 10).

These Regulations also provide that a lone parent who satisfies the relevant conditions in the period before these Regulations take effect, will requalify for the premium in income support and income-based jobseeker’s allowance following a break in the eligibility conditions of not more than 12 weeks (regulations 8 and 10).

These Regulations also make related amendments to those regulations which— a disregard certain sums in the calculation of a lone parent’s earnings (regulations 6, 9 and 11); b change the conditions of entitlement of lone parents to an extended payment of housing benefit (regulation 7); c in housing benefit, provide that students who are lone parents are treated as liable to make payments in respect of a dwelling (regulation 3) and that certain lone parents are excluded from reductions in eligible rent (regulation 4).

In so far as these Regulations are required, for the purposes of regulations 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7, to be referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee under section 149(2) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 8), (“the 1992 Act”), they have not been so referred by virtue of section 150(1)(a) of that Act. Otherwise they 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 1992 Act, are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.

1992 c. 7 S.I. 1995/2705 (N.I. 15) See section 171(6A) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992; subsection (6A) was inserted by Article 3(3) of the Social Security (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/1579 (N.I. 8)) See section 150(1)(a) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 S.R. 1998 No. 73 S.R. 1987 No. 461; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1990 Nos. 297, 305 and 345, S.R. 1991 No. 47, S.R. 1992 No. 549, S.R. 1994 No. 65, S.R. 1995 No. 129, S.R. 1996 Nos. 115 and 334 and S.R. 1997 No. 4 S.R. 1987 No. 459; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1988 No. 318 and S.R. 1996 No. 288 S.R. 1996 No. 198; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1996 No. 288 S.R. 1998 No. 59 1954 c. 33 (N.I.) S.R. 1997 No. 354 Paragraph 3 was amended by regulation 18 of S.R. 1988 No. 318 and regulation 5(4) of S.R. 1996 No. 288 Paragraph 5 was amended by regulation 5(6) of S.R. 1996 No. 288 Paragraph 4 was amended by regulation 9(4)(a) of S.R. 1996 No. 288 Paragraph 6 was amended by regulation 9(6) of S.R. 1996 No. 288 Reg. 1 in operation at 6.4.1998, see reg. 1(1)Reg. 2 in operation at 6.4.1998, see reg. 1(1)Reg. 8 in operation at 6.4.1998, see reg. 1(1)Reg. 9 in operation at 6.4.1998, see reg. 1(1)Reg. 10 in operation at 6.4.1998, see reg. 1(1)Reg. 11 in operation at 6.4.1998, see reg. 1(1)Words in reg. 1(3) revoked (20.11.2006) by The Housing Benefit (Consequential Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (S.R. 2006/407), reg. 1(1), Sch. 1 (with regs. 2, 6(2), Sch. 3, Sch. 4)Regs. 3-7 revoked (20.11.2006) by The Housing Benefit (Consequential Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006 (S.R. 2006/407), reg. 1(1), Sch. 1 (with regs. 2, 6(2), Sch. 3, Sch. 4)