The Covid-19 Study Disruption Payment Scheme Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2021

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations provide for a payment (“Covid-19 study disruption payment”) to be made to eligible persons under the Covid-19 Study Disruption Payment Scheme (Northern Ireland) 2021.

Regulation 2 provides that the Scheme is set out in the Schedule.

The Schedule—

(a) provides that the Department for the Economy must make a payment to each designated institution equal to the total disruption payment amount that institution has advised is required to pay to all of their eligible students under the Scheme;

(b) provides that a designated institution must pay each of its eligible students for which it has received a payment from the Department, a single payment of £500;

(c) defines eligible student, qualifying course and designated institution;

(d) provides that payments made in error under the Scheme may be recovered;

(e) provides that payments under the Scheme may be taxable and that regulations 68 to 70 (which deal with unearned and student income) of the Universal Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2016 (2016 SR 216) apply to such payments.

A regulatory impact assessment has not been produced for these Regulations as they have no impact on the costs of business.