Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland) Act 1992

147 Allocations from social fund. N.I.

(1) The Department shall allocate amounts for payments from the social fund such as are mentioned in section 134(1)(b) of the Contributions and Benefits Act [F1 (in this section referred to as “section 134(1)(b) payments”)] .

(2) The Department may specify the amounts either as sums of money or by reference to money falling into the social fund on the repayment or partial repayment of loans, or partly in the former and partly in the latter manner.

(3) Allocations—

[F2 (a) may be for all section 134(1)(b) payments or for any description of such payments;]

(b) may be of different amounts for [F3 payments of different descriptions] ;

(c) may be made at such time or times as the Department considers appropriate; and

(d) may be in addition to any other allocationF4 ....

[F5 (3A) Without prejudice to the generality of subsection (3)(a) above, descriptions of section 134(1)(b) payments may, in particular, be framed by reference to—

(a) the purposes for which payments are made;

(b) the persons by whom payments are made (including where such persons are located);

(c) the persons to whom payments are made (including where such persons are located).]

(4) The Department may at any time re-allocate amounts previously allocated, and subsections (2) and (3) above shall have effect in relation to a re-allocation as they have effect in relation to an allocation.

(5) The Department may give general directions to [F6 appropriate officers] or groups of [F6 appropriate officers], or to any class of [F6 appropriate officers], with respect to the control and management by [F6 appropriate officers] or groups of [F6 appropriate officers] of [F7 any amounts allocated to them] under this section.

[F8 (6) In this section “appropriate officer” means an officer of the Department who, acting under its authority, is exercising functions of the Department in relation to [F9 section 134(1)(b) payments] .]

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 147(1) inserted (29.6.2007) by Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 (c. 2), ss. 51(2), 60(2)(a)

F2 S. 147(3)(a) substituted (29.6.2007) by Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 (c. 2), ss. 51(3)(a), 60(2)(a)

F3 Words in s. 147(3)(b) substituted (29.6.2007) by Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 (c. 2), ss. 51(3)(b), 60(2)(a)

F4 Words in s. 147(3)(d) repealed (29.6.2007) by Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 (c. 2), ss. 51(3)(c), 60(2)(a), Sch. 8

F5 S. 147(3A) inserted (29.6.2007) by Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 (c. 2), ss. 51(4), 60(2)(a)

F6 Words in s. 147(5) substituted (29.11.1999 for certain purposes, otherwiseprosp.) by S.I. 1998/1506 (N.I. 10), arts. 1, 78(1), Sch. 6 para. 80(2); S.R. 1999/472, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 (with arts. 20-22) (subject to art. 2(2) of the said S.R. 1999/472)

F7 Words in s. 147(5) substituted (29.6.2007) by Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 (c. 2), s. 60(2)(c), Sch. 7 para. 2(3)

F8 S. 147(6) inserted (29.11.1999 for certain purposes, otherwiseprosp.) by S.I. 1998/1506, arts. 1, 78(1), Sch. 6 para. 80(3); S.R. 1999/472, art. 2(1), Sch. 1 (with arts. 20-22) (subject to art. 2(2) of the said S.R. 1999/472)

F9 Words in s. 147(6) substituted (29.6.2007) by Welfare Reform Act (Northern Ireland) 2007 (c. 2), s. 60(2)(c), Sch. 7 para. 2(4)