The Social Security (Credits) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003

“Credits for adoption pay period and maternity pay period9C.

(1)

For the purposes of entitlement to any benefit by virtue of –

(a)

in the case of a person referred to in paragraph (2)(a), that person’s earnings or contributions;

(b)

in the case of a woman referred to in paragraph (2)(b), her earnings or contributions,

that person or that woman, as the case may be, shall be entitled to be credited with earnings equal to the lower earnings limit then in force in respect of each week to which this regulation applies.

(2)

Subject to paragraphs (3) and (4) this regulation applies to each week during –

(a)

the adoption pay period in respect of which statutory adoption pay was paid to a person, or

(b)

the maternity pay period in respect of which statutory maternity pay was paid to a woman.

(3)

A person or woman referred to in paragraphs (1) and (2) shall be entitled to be credited with earnings in respect of a week by virtue of this regulation only if he or she –

(a)

furnished to the Department notice in writing of his or her claim to be entitled to be credited with earnings, and

(b)

did so –

(i)

before the end of the benefit year immediately following the tax year in which that week began, or

(ii)

within such further time as may be reasonable in the circumstances of his or her case.

(4)

This regulation shall not apply to a woman in respect of any week in any part of which she was a married woman in respect of whom an election made by her under regulations made under section 19(4) of the Contributions and Benefits Act had effect.

(5)

In this regulation “adoption pay period”, “maternity pay period”, “statutory adoption pay” and “statutory maternity pay” have the same meaning as in the Contributions and Benefits Act10.”.