Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992

171 Interpretation of Part XII and supplementary provisions. E+W+S

(1) In this Part of this Act—

• “confinement” means—

  (a)

  labour resulting in the issue of a living child, or

  (b)

  labour after [F1 24 weeks] of pregnancy resulting in the issue of a child whether alive or dead,

  and “confined” shall be construed accordingly; and where a woman’s labour begun on one day results in the issue of a child on another day she shall be taken to be confined on the day of the issue of the child or, if labour results in the issue of twins or a greater number of children, she shall be taken to be confined on the day of the issue of the last of them;

• “dismissed” is to be construed in accordance with [F2 Part X of the Employment Rights Act 1996];

• “employee” means a woman who is—

  (a)

  gainfully employed in Great Britain either under a contract of service or in an office (including elective office) with [F3 general earnings (as defined by section 7 of the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003)]; F4 ...

  (b)

  F4 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

  but subject to regulations [F5 made with the concurrence of [F6 Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs]] which may provide for cases where any such woman is not to be treated as an employee for the purposes of this Part of this Act and for cases where a woman who would not otherwise be an employee for those purposes is to be treated as an employee for those purposes;

• [F7 “employer”, in relation to a woman who is an employee, means a person who—

  (a)

  under section 6 above is liable to pay secondary Class 1 contributions in relation to any of her earnings; or

  (b)

  would be liable to pay such contributions but for—

  (i)

  the condition in section 6(1)(b), or

  (ii)

  the employee being under the age of 16;]

• “maternity pay period” has the meaning assigned to it by section 165(1) above;

• “modifications” includes additions, omissions and amendments, and related expressions shall be construed accordingly;

• “prescribed” means specified in or determined in accordance with regulations;

• F8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

[F9 (1A) In this Part, except section 165(1), (4) and (6), section 166(1) and paragraph 3(2) of Schedule 13, “week” means a period of 7 days beginning with Sunday or such other period as may be prescribed in relation to any particular case or class of case.]

(2) Without prejudice to any other power to make regulations under this Part of this Act, regulations may specify cases in which, for the purposes of this Part of this Act or of such provisions of this Part of this Act as may be prescribed—

(a) two or more employers are to be treated as one;

(b) two or more contracts of service in respect of which the same woman is an employee are to be treated as one.

(3) Where, in consequence of the establishment of one or more National Health Service trusts under [F10 the National Health Service Act 2006, the National Health Service (Wales) Act 2006] or the M1 National Health Service (Scotland) Act 1978, a woman’s contract of employment is treated by a scheme under [F11 any of those Acts] as divided so as to constitute two or more contracts, [F12 or where an order under [F13 paragraph 26(1) of Schedule 3 to the National Health Service Act 2006] provides that a woman’s contract of employment is so divided,] regulations may make provision enabling her to elect for all of those contracts to be treated as one contract for the purposes of this Part of this Act or of such provisions of this Part of this Act as may be prescribed; and any such regulations may prescribe—

(a) the conditions that must be satisfied if a woman is to be entitled to make such an election;

(b) the manner in which, and the time within which, such an election is to be made;

(c) the persons to whom, and the manner in which, notice of such an election is to be given;

(d) the information which a woman who makes such an election is to provide, and the persons to whom, and the time within which, she is to provide it;

(e) the time for which such an election is to have effect;

(f) which one of the woman’s employers under the two or more contracts is to be regarded for the purposes of statutory maternity pay as her employer under the one contract;

and the powers conferred by this subsection are without prejudice to any other power to make regulations under this Part of this Act.

(4) For the purposes of this Part of this Act a woman’s normal weekly earnings shall, subject to subsection (6) below, be taken to be the average weekly earnings which in the relevant period have been paid to her or paid for her benefit under the contract of service with the employer in question.

(5) For the purposes of subsection (4) above “earnings” and “relevant period” shall have the meanings given to them by regulations.

(6) In such cases as may be prescribed a woman’s normal weekly earnings shall be calculated in accordance with regulations.

[F14 (7) Regulations under any of subsections (2) to (6) above must be made with the concurrence of the Commissioners of Inland Revenue.]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 171(1) substituted (1.10.1992) by Still-Birth (Definition) Act 1992 (c. 29), ss. 2(1)(b)(2)(a), 4(2)

F2 Words in s. 171(1) substituted (22.8.1996) by Employment Rights Act 1996 (c. 18), s. 243, Sch. 1 para. 51(5) (with s. 241, Sch. 2)

F3 Words in s. 171(1) substituted (6.4.2003 with effect in accordance with s. 723(1)(a)(b) of the amending Act) by Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 (c. 1), s. 723, Sch. 6 para. 182 (with Sch. 7)

F4 Words in s. 171(1) omitted (1.10.2006 with effect in relation to any case where the expected week of confinement begins on or after 14.1.2007) by virtue of The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1031), reg. 1(1), Sch. 8 para. 10(2) (with Sch. 8 para. 10(4))

F5 Words in s. 171(1) inserted (25.2.1999 for specified purposes, 1.4.1999 in so far as not already in force) by Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, etc.) Act 1999 (c. 2), s. 28(2)(a), Sch. 1 para. 15(2); S.I. 1999/527, art. 2(b), Sch. 2 (with arts. 3-6)

F6 Words in s. 171 substituted (18.4.2005) by Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005 (c. 11), s. 53(1), Sch. 4 para. 43; S.I. 2005/1126, art. 2(2)(h)

F7 Words in s. 171(1) substituted (1.10.2006 with effect in relation to any case where the expected week of confinement begins on or after 14.1.2007) by virtue of The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 (S.I. 2006/1031), reg. 1(1), Sch. 8 para. 10(3) (with Sch. 8 para. 10(4))

F8 Words in s. 171(1) repealed (27.6.2006 for specified purposes, 1.10.2006 in so far as not already in force) by Work and Families Act 2006 (c. 18), s. 19(2), Sch. 1 para. 9(2), Sch. 2; S.I. 2006/1682, arts. 2(d), 3(d)(i)(i)

F9 S. 171(1A) inserted (27.6.2006 for specified purposes, 1.10.2006 in so far as not already in force) by Work and Families Act 2006 (c. 18), s. 19(2), Sch. 1 para. 9(3); S.I. 2006/1682, arts. 2(d), 3(d)

F10 Words in s. 171(3) substituted (1.3.2007) by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006 (c. 43), s. 8(2), Sch. 1 para. 148(a) (with Sch. 3 Pt. 1)

F11 Words in s. 171(3) substituted (1.3.2007) by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006 (c. 43), s. 8(2), Sch. 1 para. 148(b) (with Sch. 3 Pt. 1)

F12 Words in s. 171 inserted (8.2.2000) by The Health Act 1999 (Supplementary, Consequential etc. Provisions) Order 2000 (S.I. 2000/90), art. 3(1), Sch. 1 para. 27(3)

F13 Words in s. 171(3) substituted (1.3.2007) by National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Act 2006 (c. 43), s. 8(2), Sch. 1 para. 148(c) (with Sch. 3 Pt. 1)

F14 S. 171(7) inserted (25.2.1999 for specified purposes, 1.4.1999 in so far as not already in force) by Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, etc.) Act 1999 (c. 2), s. 28(2)(a), Sch. 1 para. 15(3); S.I. 1999/527, art. 2(b), Sch. 2 (with arts. 3-6)

Marginal Citations

M1 1978 c.29.