Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland
2021 No. 287
Social Security
The Social Security (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021
Made 25th October 2021
Coming into operation 3rd December 2021

The Department for Communities makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by paragraph 1(1) of Schedule 2, and paragraph 21 of Schedule 7, to the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.
2018 c. 16; Schedule 2 was amended by section 27(7) of the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act 2020 (c. 1); paragraph 21 of Schedule 7 was amended by paragraph 53(2) of Schedule 5 to that Act

Citation and commencement
1. These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021 and shall come into operation on 3rd December 2021.

Amendment of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992
2. In section 144 of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (entitlement of pensioners to Christmas bonus), in subsection (1)(a) for “or a member State” substitute “, an EEA state or Switzerland”.
1992 c. 7; relevant amending Regulations are S.I. 2019/129
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Communities on 25th October 2021
(L.S.)
Anne McCleary
A senior officer of the Department for Communities

EXPLANATORY NOTE
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations address failures of retained EU law to operate effectively and other deficiencies arising from the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union.
Regulation 2 amends section 144(1)(a) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c. 7) to add Switzerland so that people in Switzerland who satisfy the qualifying conditions will receive the Christmas bonus following the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union. Regulation 2 also amends this section by replacing “member State” with “EEA state” since the Christmas bonus is paid pursuant to this section to people satisfying the qualifying conditions in all European Economic Area states.