Office of Public Sector Information
Statutory Rules of Northern Ireland
Housing; Rates; Social Security
Made
3rd October 2008
Coming into operation
6th October 2008
The Department for Social Development makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by section 171(4) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland) Act 1992(1) and sections 5(1)(a) and 165(1) and (3) to (5) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992(2), and now vested in it(3), and sections 1(5) and 19(1) to (3) of the State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002(4).
The Social Security Advisory Committee has agreed that proposals in respect of regulations 4 and 5 should not be referred to it(5).
1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008 and shall come into operation on 6th October 2008.
(2) The Interpretation Act (Northern Ireland) 1954(6) shall apply to these Regulations as it applies to an Act of the Assembly.
2.—(1) The Social Security (Claims and Payments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987(7) are amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3).
(2) In regulation 19(3)(8) (time for claiming benefit)—
(a) at the end of sub-paragraph (ga) omit “and”;
(b) in sub-paragraph (h) for “dependant.” substitute “dependant; and”, and
(c) after that sub-paragraph add—
“(i) state pension credit.”.
(3) In Schedule 4 (prescribed times for claiming benefit) omit paragraph 12(9).
3.—(1) The State Pension Credit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003(10) are amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) to (4).
(2) For regulation 3(11) (persons temporarily absent from Northern Ireland) substitute—
3. A claimant’s entitlement to state pension credit during periods of temporary absence from Northern Ireland is to continue for up to 13 weeks if—
(a) the period of the claimant’s absence from Northern Ireland is unlikely to exceed 52 weeks, and
(b) while absent from Northern Ireland the claimant continues to satisfy the other conditions of entitlement to state pension credit.
3A. Where a claimant—
(a) is already temporarily absent from Northern Ireland on 6th October 2008;
(b) had a continuing entitlement to state pension credit immediately before that day, and
(c) while absent from Northern Ireland, continues to satisfy the other conditions of entitlement to state pension credit,
the claimant’s entitlement to state pension credit is to continue during that period of absence from Northern Ireland for up to 13 weeks.”.
(3) In regulation 5 (persons treated as being or not being members of the same household)—
(a) for paragraph (1)(f)(12) substitute—
“(f) he is absent from Northern Ireland for more than 13 weeks;”, and
(b) omit paragraph (3)(13).
(4) In Schedule 3 (special groups) in paragraph 1(8) after “regulations” omit “3,”.
4. In regulation 81(12)(b) of the Housing Benefit Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006(14) (time and manner in which claims are to be made) for “52 weeks” substitute “6 months”.
5. In regulation 62 of the Housing Benefit (Persons who have attained the qualifying age for state pension credit) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006(15) (time and manner in which claims are to be made)—
(a) in paragraph (1) for “12 months” substitute “3 months”, and
(b) in paragraph (13)(b) for “52 weeks” substitute “3 months”.
6. The following regulations are revoked—
(a) regulation 2(4), (5)(a)(ii) and (5)(b) of the State Pension Credit (Transitional and Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003(16);
(b) regulation 2(3) of the Social Security (Claims and Payments) (Amendment No. 2) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2004(17), and
(c) regulation 5(2) of the Social Security (Young Persons) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2006(18).
Sealed with the Official Seal of the Department for Social Development on 3rd October 2008
(L.S.)
John O’Neill
A senior officer of the Department for Social Development
1992 c. 8; section 165(1) was amended by paragraph 49(2) of Schedule 3 to, the Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, etc.) (Northern Ireland) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/671) and section 165(3) was amended by paragraph 10 of Schedule 4 to, the Tax Credits Act 2002 (c. 21) Back [2]
See Article 8(b) of S.R. 1999 No. 481 Back [3]
2002 c. 14 (N.I.) Back [4]
See section 150(1)(b) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 Back [5]
1954 c. 33 (N.I.) Back [6]
S.R. 1987 No. 465; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 1997 No. 156, S.R. 2002 No. 323, S.R. 2004 No. 304 and S.R. 2005 Nos. 122 and 139 Back [7]
Regulation 19 was substituted by regulation 3(7) of S.R. 1997 No. 156 and paragraph 3 was amended by paragraph 2 of the Schedule to, S.R. 2002 No. 323, regulation 2(2) of S.R. 2004 No. 304, regulation 2(3) of S.R. 2005 No.122 and regulation 2(2)(a) of S.R. 2005 No. 139 Back [8]
Paragraph 12 was inserted by regulation 2(3) of S.R. 2004 No. 304 Back [9]
S.R. 2003 No. 28; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 2003 No. 421 and S.R. 2006 No. 128 Back [10]
Regulation 3 was amended by regulation 2(4) of S.R. 2003 No. 421 and regulation 5(2) of S.R. 2006 No. 128 Back [11]
Paragraph (1)(f) was substituted by regulation 2(5)(a)(ii) of S.R. 2003 No. 421 Back [12]
Paragraph (3) was inserted by regulation 2(5)(b) of S.R. 2003 No. 421 Back [13]
S.R. 2006 No. 405, to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations Back [14]
S.R. 2006 No. 406; to which there are amendments not relevant to these Regulations Back [15]
S.R. 2003 No. 421 Back [16]
S.R. 2004 No. 304 Back [17]
S.R. 2006 No. 128 Back [18]
The Social Security (Miscellaneous Amendments No. 3) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2008