The Social Security (Coronavirus) (Electronic Communications) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2020

Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland

2020 No. 87

Social Security

The Social Security (Coronavirus) (Electronic Communications) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2020

Made

26 May 2020

Coming into operation

27 May 2020

The Department for Communities makes the following Order in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 1 and 2 of the Electronic Communications Act (Northern Ireland) Act 2001(1).

In accordance with section 1(3) of that Act it considers that the authorisation of the use of electronic communications by this Order for any purpose is such that the extent (if any) to which records of things done for that purpose will be available will be no less satisfactory in cases where use is made of electronic communications than in other cases.

Citation and commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as the Social Security (Coronavirus) (Electronic Communications) (Amendment) Order (Northern Ireland) 2020 and comes into operation on 27th May 2020.

Amendment of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987

2.—(1) The Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(2) are amended as follows.

(2) In regulation 4ZC(2)(3) (electronic claims for benefit) after “state pension under Part 1 of the 2015 Act” insert “, state pension credit”.

(3) In paragraph 2 of Schedule 8D(4) (conditions for the use of electronic communication)—

(i) after “state pension under Part 1 of the 2015 Act” insert “, state pension credit”;

(ii) at the end omit “and state pension credit”.

Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Communities on 26 May 2020

(L.S.)

Anne McCleary

A senior officer of the Department for Communities

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This Order amends the Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 (“the Claims and Payments Regulations”) to allow electronic claims to be made for State Pension Credit. Due to the impact of the Covid-19 outbreak in Northern Ireland, an online digital platform has been developed to provide claimants with an additional route for claiming and to ease the operational impacts of the pandemic.

Article 1 provides for citation and commencement.

Article 2 amends regulation 4ZC of, and paragraph 2 of Schedule 8D to, the Claims and Payments Regulations to permit the use of an electronic communication in connection with a claim for State Pension Credit. The use of an electronic communication by claimants must be in accordance with a direction of the Department.

(1)

2001 c.9 (N.I.).

(2)

S.R. 1987 No. 465.

(3)

Regulation 4ZC was inserted by Article 2(3) of S.R. 2006 No. 203 and amended by Article 2(2) of S.R. 2011 No. 298, regulation 9(5) of S.R. 2015 No. 411 and regulation 10(5) of S.R. 2017 No. 66.

(4)

Schedule 8D was inserted by Article 2(4) of S.R. 2006 No. 203 and amended by Article 2(4) of S.R. 2011 No. 298, Article 2(3) of S.R. 2011 No. 431, regulation 9(21) of S.R. 2015 No. 411 and regulation 10(14) of S.R. 2017 No. 66.