(This note is not part of the Regulations.)
These Regulations further amend the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987, the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 and the Jobseeker’s Allowance Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1996.
Regulation 2 provides an income disregard for payments which derive from Skipton Fund payments and it also excludes Skipton Fund payments from the notional capital rules (regulations 2(1) to (5)).
In relation to housing benefit, regulation 2(6) provides that a person is not required to furnish any evidence and information about a Skipton Fund payment when making a claim or in connection with an award.
Regulation 3 introduces income and capital disregards for special guardianship payments.
Regulation 4 further amends the Income Support (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1987 to –
remove references to specific awarding bodies from the definition of “receiving advanced education” in regulation 12(2) (regulation 4(1));
exclude lone parents, who participate in certain specified schemes, from the notional earnings rule (regulation 4(2)).
In so far as these Regulations are required, for the purposes of regulations 2(1), (2)(a), (3), (4)(a) and (6) and 3(1), (2)(a) and (4) to be referred to the Social Security Advisory Committee under section 149(2) of the Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992, (“the 1992 Act”), after agreement by the Social Security Advisory Committee, they have not been so referred by virtue of section 150(1)(b) of that Act. Otherwise they make, in relation to Northern Ireland only, provision corresponding to provision contained in Regulations made by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in relation to Great Britain and accordingly, by virtue of section 149(3) of, and paragraph 10 of Schedule 5 to, the 1992 Act, are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.
These Regulations do not impose any charge on business.