The Social Security (Volunteers Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2001 No. 258

HOUSING; RATES; SOCIAL SECURITY

The Social Security (Volunteers Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001

Made

27th June 2001

Coming into operation

24th September 2001

The Department for Social Development, in exercise of the powers conferred on it by sections 122(1)(a) and (d), 132(4)(b) and 171(1) and (3) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992(1) and Article 14(4)(b) of the Jobseekers (Northern Ireland) Order 1995(2) and now vested in it(3), and of all other powers enabling it in that behalf, with the consent of the Department of Finance and Personnel(4) in so far as regulation 2(2)(b) is concerned, and after agreement by the Social Security Advisory Committee that proposals in respect of that regulation should not be referred to it(5), hereby makes the following Regulations:

Citation, commencement and interpretation

1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Volunteers Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 and shall come into operation on 24th September 2001.

(2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(6) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.

Income support, housing benefit and jobseeker’s allowance: disregard of expenses

2.—(1) In each of the provisions specified in paragraph (2), after “incurred” there shall be inserted “, or to be incurred,”.

(2) The provisions specified for the purposes of paragraph (1) are—

(a) paragraph 2 of Schedule 9 to the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(7) (sums to be disregarded in the calculation of income other than earnings);

(b) paragraph 2 of Schedule 4 to the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(8) (sums to be disregarded in the calculation of income other than earnings);

(c) paragraph 2 of Schedule 6 to the Jobseekers Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996(9) (sums to be disregarded in the calculation of income other than earnings).

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Social Development on 27th June 2001.

L.S.

John O'Neill

Senior Officer of the

Department for Social Development

The Department of Finance and Personnel hereby consents to regulation 2(2)(b) of the foregoing Regulations.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department of Finance and Personnel on 28th June 2001.

L.S.

William Pauley

Senior Officer of the

Department of Finance and Personnel

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations.)

These Regulations further amend the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987, the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 and the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996.

Regulation 2 allows payments in respect of expenses to be incurred by a claimant for those benefits to be disregarded where he is engaged by a charitable or voluntary organisation or is a volunteer.

In so far as these Regulations are required, for the purposes of regulation 2(2)(b), to be referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee under section 149(2) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, (“the 1992 Act”), after agreement by the Social Security Advisory Committee, they have not been so referred by virtue of section 150(1)(b) 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 Work and Pensions 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.

These Regulations do not impose any charge on business.

(1)

1992 c. 7

(2)

S.I. 1995/2705 (N.I. 15)

(3)

See Article 8(b) of S.R. 1999 No. 481

(4)

See section 171(6A) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 as inserted by Article 3(3) of the Social Security (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 1993 (S.I. 1993/1579 (N.I. 8)); see Article 6(b) of, and Part II of Schedule 4 to, the Departments (Transfer and Assignment of Functions) Order (Northern Ireland) 1999

(5)

See section 150(1)(b) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 8)

(6)

1954 c. 33 (N.I.)

(7)

S.R. 1987 No. 459; paragraph 2 was amended by regulation 2(12)(a) of S.R. 1995 No. 86

(8)

S.R. 1987 No. 461; paragraph 2(a) was amended by regulation 11 of S.R. 1995 No. 89

(9)

S.R. 1996 No. 198; to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations