These Regulations provide for the Department for Social Development to deduct an amount in respect of certain child support maintenance liabilities from certain social security benefits or war pensions awarded to a beneficiary who is a non-resident parent (or in some cases his partner) and pay it to the person with care. The relevant provisions of the Child Support (Northern Ireland) Order 1991 come into operation on different dates for different types of cases. Consequently the right to make deductions under these Regulations will take effect on different dates for different types of cases.

Regulation 2 amends the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (“the Claims and Payments Regulations”) to give effect to the provisions set out in the Schedule. By virtue of regulation 3, the right to deduct under the existing provisions of the Claims and Payments Regulations will be phased out.

The Schedule provides for deduction from specified benefits and payment to the persons with care (paragraph 2), deduction of £1 per week in respect of arrears (paragraph 3), apportionment of the amount deducted between persons with care (paragraph 4), deductions limited to £5 where partners (or parties to a polygamous marriage) are liable for flat rate maintenance (paragraphs 5 and 6) and notice requirements (paragraph 7).

Article 40(2) of the Child Support (Northern Ireland) Order 1991, one of the enabling provisions under which these Regulations are made, was substituted by section 20 of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000. Section 20 of that Act was brought into operation, for the purpose only of making regulations, on 22nd November 2000 by virtue of the Child Support Pensions and Social Security (2000 Act) (Commencement No. 1) Order (Northern Ireland) 2000 (S.R. 2000 No. 358 (C. 16)).

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.

These Regulations do not impose a charge on business.