The Social Security (Civil Partnership) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005

Amendment of the Housing Benefit (Decisions and Appeals) RegulationsN.I.

8.—(1) The Housing Benefit (Decisions and Appeals) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2001(1) shall be amended in accordance with paragraphs (2) and (3).

(2) In regulation 1(2) (interpretation)—

(a)after the definition of “clerk to the appeal tribunal” there shall be inserted the following definition—

“couple” means—

(a)

a man and woman who are married to each other and are members of the same household;

(b)

a man and woman who are not married to each other but are living together as husband and wife;

(c)

two people of the same sex who are civil partners of each other and are members of the same household; or

(d)

two people of the same sex who are not civil partners of each other but are living together as if they were civil partners,

and for the purposes of paragraph (d), two people of the same sex are to be regarded as living together as if they were civil partners if, but only if, they would be regarded as living together as husband and wife were they instead two people of the opposite sex;; and; and

(b)in the definition of “partner” in paragraph (a) for “a married or unmarried couple” there shall be substituted “a couple”.

(3) In regulation 23(1)(2) (procedure in connection with appeals) for “amended by the Social Security, Child Support and Tax Credits (Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005” there shall be substituted “amended by the Social Security (Civil Partnership) (Consequential Amendments) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005”.

Commencement Information

I1Reg. 8 in operation at 5.12.2005, see reg. 1(1)

(1)

S.R. 2001 No. 213; relevant amending Regulations are S.R. 2005 No. 46

(2)

Paragraph (1) was amended by regulation 8(4) of S.R. 2005 No. 46