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Part XN.I. Christmas bonus for pensioners

144 Entitlement of pensioners to Christmas bonus.N.I.

(1)Any person who in any year—

(a)is present or ordinarily resident in the United Kingdom or any other member State at any time during the relevant week; and

(b)is entitled to a payment of a qualifying benefit in respect of a period which includes a day in that week or is to be treated as entitled to a payment of a qualifying benefit in respect of such a period,

shall, subject to the following provisions of this Part of this Act and to section 1 of the Administration Act, be entitled to payment under this subsection in respect of that year.

(2)Subject to the following provisions of this Part of this Act, any person who is a member of a couple and is entitled to a payment under subsection (1) above in respect of a year shall also be entitled to payment under this subsection in respect of that year if—

(a)both members have attained pensionable age not later than the end of the relevant week; and

(b)the other member satisfies the condition mentioned in subsection (1)(a) above; and

(c)either—

(i)he is entitled or treated as entitled, in respect of the other member, to an increase in the payment of the qualifying benefit; or

(ii)the only qualifying benefit to which he is entitled is [F1state pension credit].

[F2(2ZA)In a case where a person is entitled to a payment of armed forces independence payment, the reference in subsection (1) to section 1 of the Administration Act is to be read as a reference to article 43 of the Armed Forces and Reserve Forces (Compensation Scheme) Order 2011 (S.I. 2011/517).]

[F3(2A)In a case falling within paragraph (c)(ii) of subsection (2) above, paragraph (a) of that subsection has effect with the substitution of “qualifying age for state pension credit” for “pensionable age”.]

(3)A payment under subsection (1) or (2) above—

(a)is to be made by the Department; and

(b)is to be of £10 or such larger sum as the Department may by order specify.

(4)F4. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(5)Only one sum shall be payable in respect of any person.

Textual Amendments

F1Words in s. 144(2)(c)(ii) substituted (2.12.2002 for certain purposes, 6.10.2003 in so far as not already in force) by State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 (c. 14(N.I.)), ss. 14, 21(2), Sch. 2 para. 5(a); S.R. 2002/366, art. 2(1)(l); S.R. 2003/373, art. 2

F3S. 144(2A) inserted (2.12.2002 for certain purposes, 6.10.2003 in so far as not already in force) by State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 (c. 14(N.I.)), ss. 14, 21(2), Sch. 2 para. 5(b); S.R. 2002/366, art. 2(1)(l); S.R. 2003/373, art. 2

F4S. 144(4) omitted (2.12.2002 for certain purposes, and repealed 6.10.2003 in so far as not already in force) by State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 (c. 14(N.I.)), ss. 14, 21(2), Sch. 2 para. 5(c), Sch. 3; S.R. 2002/366, art. 2(1)(l) ; S.R. 2003/373, art. 2

145 Provisions supplementary to s. 144.N.I.

(1)For the purposes of section 144 above the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar shall be treated as though they were part of the United Kingdom.

(2)A person shall be treated for the purposes of section 144(1)(b) above as entitled to a payment of a qualifying benefit if he would be so entitled—

(a)in the case of a qualifying benefit [F5other than state pension credit], but for the fact that he or, if he is a member of a couple, the other member is entitled to receive some other payment out of public funds;

(b)in the case of [F6state pension credit], but for the fact that his income or, if he is a member of a couple, the income of the other member was exceptionally of an amount which resulted in his having ceased to be entitled to [F6state pension credit].

(3)A person shall be treated for the purposes of section 144(2)(c)(i) above as entitled in respect of the other member of the couple to an increase in a payment of a qualifying benefit if he would be so entitled—

(a)but for the fact that he or the other member is entitled to receive some other payment out of public funds;

(b)but for the operation of any provision of F7... paragraph 6(4) of Schedule 7 to this Act or any regulations made under paragraph 6(3) of that Schedule whereby entitlement to benefit is affected by the amount of a person’s earnings in a given period.

(4)For the purposes of section 144 above a person shall be taken not to be entitled to a payment of a war disablement pension unless not later than the end of the relevant week he has attained [F8pensionable age].

(5)A sum payable under section 144 above shall not be treated as benefit for the purposes of any enactment or instrument under which entitlement to the relevant qualifying benefit arises or is to be treated as arising.

(6)A payment and the right to receive a payment—

(a)under section 144 above or any enactment corresponding to it in Great Britain; or

(b)under regulations relating to widows which are made by the Secretary of State under any enactment relating to police and which contain a statement that the regulations provide for payments corresponding to payments under that section,

shall be disregarded for all purposes of income tax and for the purposes of any enactment or instrument under which regard is had to a person’s means.

Textual Amendments

F5Words in s. 145(2)(a) substituted (2.12.2002 for certain purposes, 6.10.2003 in so far as not already in force) by State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 (c. 14 (N.I.)), ss. 14, 21(2), Sch. 2 para. 6(a); S.R. 2002/366, art. 2(1)(l); S.R. 2003/373, art. 2

F6Words in s. 145(2)(b) substituted (2.12.2002 for certain purposes, 6.10.2003 in so far as not already in force) by State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 (c. 14 (N.I.)), ss. 14, 21(2), Sch. 2 para. 6(b); S.R. 2002/366, art. 2(1)(l); S.R. 2003/373, art. 2

F7Words in s. 145(3)(b) repealed (6.4.2010 with savings until 6.4.2020) by Pensions Act (Northern Ireland) 2008 (c. 1), s. 4(4), Sch. 1 para. 17, Sch. 6 Pt. 2 (with s. 4(5)-(8))

146 Interpretation of Part X.N.I.

(1)In this Part of this Act “qualifying benefit” means—

(a)a retirement pension;

[F9(b)long-term incapacity benefit;]

[F10(ba)a qualifying employment and support allowance;]

[F11(bb)personal independence payment [F12under Part 5 of the Welfare Reform (Northern Ireland) Order 2015];]

[F13(zc)armed forces independence payment;]

(c)a widowed mother’s allowance [F14, widowed parent’s allowance] or widow’s pension;

F15(d). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(e)[F16a carer’s allowance];

(f)industrial death benefit;

(g)an attendance allowance;

(h)an unemployability supplement or allowance;

(i)a war disablement pension;

(j)a war widow’s pension;

(k)[F17state pension credit].

[F18(l)a mobility supplement]

(2)In this Part of this Act—

and each of the following expressions, namely “attendance allowance”, “unemployability supplement or allowance”, “war disablement pension” and “war widow’s pension”, includes any payment which the Department accepts as being analogous to it.

[F36(3)In this Part of this Act, “couple” has the meaning given by section 133(1) above.]

(4)In this Part of this Act “the relevant week”, in relation to any year, means the week beginning with the first Monday in December or such other week as may be specified in an order made by the Department.

Textual Amendments

F14Words in s. 146(1)(c) inserted (24.4.2000 for specified purposes and 9.4.2001 otherwise) by S.I. 1999/3147 (N.I. 11), art. 67, Sch. 8 para. 11; S.R. 2000/133, art. 2(3)(a), Sch. Pt. I

F15S. 146(1)(d) repealed (3.11.2000 for specified purposes and 6.4.2001 otherwise) by S.I. 1999/3147 (N.I. 11), art. 76, Sch. 10 Pt. IV; S.R. 2000/332, art. 2(3)(g)(4)(5)

F16Words in s. 146(1)(e) substituted (21.10.2002 for certain purposes and 1.4.2003 otherwise) by The Deregulation (Carer's Allowance) Order (Northern Ireland) 2002 (S.R. 2002/321), arts. 1, 2(2)(a)(v)

F17Words in s. 146(1)(k) substituted (2.12.2002 for certain purposes, 6.10.2003 in so far as not already in force) by State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 (c. 14 (N.I.)), ss. 14, 21(2), Sch. 2 para. 7(a); S.R. 2002/366, art. 2(1)(l); S.R. 2003/373, art. 2

F18S. 146(1)(l) inserted (16.12.1995) by S.I. 1995/3213 (N.I. 22), arts. 1(3), 129(2)

F21Definition in s. 146(2) inserted (16.12.1995) by S.I. 1995/3213 (N.I. 22), arts. 1(3), 129(3)(a)

F22Definition in s. 146(2) substituted (16.12.1995) by S.I. 1995/3213 (N.I. 22), arts. 1(3), 123, Sch. 2 Pt. III para. 9(b)

F23S. 146(2): definition of "the qualifying age for state pension credit" inserted (2.12.2002 for certain purposes, 6.10.2003 in so far as not already in force) by State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 (c. 14 (N.I.)), ss. 14, 21(2), Sch. 2 para. 7(b); S.R. 2002/366, art. 2(1)(l); S.R. 2003/373, art. 2

F27S. 146(2): definition of "state pension credit" inserted (2.12.2002 for certain purposes, 6.10.2003 in so far as not already in force) by State Pension Credit Act (Northern Ireland) 2002 (c. 14 (N.I.)), ss. 14, 21(2), Sch. 2 para. 7(b); S.R. 2002/366, art. 2(1)(l) ; S.R. 2003/373, art. 2

F28Words in s. 146(2) substituted (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. 201(2)(a) (with Sch. 7)

F29S. 146(2): word in definition in sub-para.(b) repealed (16.12.1995) by S.I. 1995/3213 (N.I. 22), arts. 1(3), 168, Sch. 5 Pt. II

F30S. 146(2): word and sub-para.(v) inserted (16.12.1995) in para.(b) of the definition of "unemployability supplement or allowance" by S.I. 1995/3213 (N.I. 22), arts. 1(3), 129(3)(c)

F31Words in s. 146(2) repealed (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. 201(2)(b), Sch. 8 Pt. 1 (with Sch. 7)

F32Words in s. 146(2) substituted (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. 201(3) (with Sch. 7)

F35Words in s. 146(2) substituted (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. 201(4) (with Sch. 7)

Marginal Citations