The Social Fund Maternity and Funeral Expenses (General) (Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2012

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations substitutes a new regulation 5A in the Social Fund Maternity and Funeral Expenses (General) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2005 which sets out entitlement to a Sure Start Maternity Grant where another member of the claimant’s family is under the age of 16.

New regulation 5A replicates the effect of the existing regulation and adds an additional exception to provide for entitlement to Sure Start Maternity Grants in respect of additional children born as a result of a multiple birth where there is already a child under the age of 16 in the family.

The Regulations provide that the number of Sure Start Maternity Grants payable is determined by reference to the number of children under the age of 16 already in the family and the number of children born as a result of the subsequent multiple birth.

Regulation 3 provides for transitional provisions as to when these amendments for eligibility for Sure Start Maternity Grants are to have effect.

Regulation 4 makes a consequential revocation.

These Regulations 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 Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992 (c.8), are not subject to the requirement of section 149(2) of that Act for prior reference to the Social Security Advisory Committee.