These Regulations provide for the amendment of various sets of Regulations relating to child support.

Regulation 1 makes provision for citation and commencement.

Regulation 2 amends regulations which concern revocations and savings consequential upon the introduction of changes to the child support scheme made by Part I of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act (Northern Ireland) 2000 (“the Act”), to ensure that those revocations or savings are to have effect subject to the provisions of the Child Support (Transitional Provisions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001 (“the Transitional Regulations”).

Regulation 3 amends the Transitional Regulations to provide that for the purposes of the Social Security Benefits (Maintenance Payments and Consequential Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996, which provide for the interpretation of the term “child maintenance” for the purposes of section 72A of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 8), a conversion decision made under the Transitional Regulations is to be treated on or after the conversion date as if it were a maintenance calculation.

Section 28(1) of the Act, the enabling provision under which these Regulations are made, was brought into operation on 22nd November 2000, for the purpose only of authorising the making of regulations, 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)) and is brought into operation on 3rd March 2003, in so far as not already in operation, by virtue of the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security (2000 Act) (Commencement No. 9) Order (Northern Ireland) 2003 (S.R. 2003 No. 53 (C. 4)).

These Regulations do not impose any cost on business.