Social Security Act 1998

2 Use of computers

(1) Any decision, determination or assessment falling to be made or certificate falling to be issued by the Secretary of State under or by virtue of a relevant enactment, or in relation to a war pension, may be made or issued not only by an officer of his acting under his authority but also—

(a) by a computer for whose operation such an officer is responsible; and

(b) in the case of a decision, determination or assessment that may be made or a certificate that may be issued by a person providing services to the Secretary of State, by a computer for whose operation such a person is responsible.

(2) In this section “relevant enactment” means any enactment contained in—

(a) Chapter II of this Part;

(b) the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992 (“the Contributions and Benefits Act”);

(c) the Administration Act;

(d) the Child Support Act;

(e) the Social Security (Incapacity for Work) Act 1994;

(f) the Jobseekers Act 1995 (“the Jobseekers Act”);

(g) the Child Support Act 1995; F1 ...

(h) the Social Security (Recovery of Benefits) Act 1997; F2 ...

[F3 (i) the State Pension Credit Act 2002]; F4 ...

[F5 (j) Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act 2007];

[F6 (k) Part 1 of the Welfare Reform Act 2012;] F7 ...

[F8 (l) Part 4 of that Act];

[F9 (m) Part 1 of the Pensions Act 2014;] [F10 or

(n) section 30 of the Pensions Act 2014;]

(3) In this section and section 3 below “war pension” has the same meaning as in section 25 of the Social Security Act 1989 (establishment and functions of war pensions committees).

Textual Amendments

F1 Word in s. 2(2) repealed (7.4.2003) by State Pension Credit Act 2002 (c. 16), s. 22(3), Sch. 3; S.I. 2003/966, art. 2(b), Sch.

F2 Word in s. 2(2)(h) repealed (27.10.2008) by Welfare Reform Act 2007 (c. 5), s. 70(1), Sch. 8; S.I. 2008/787, art. 2(4)(g)

F3 S. 2(2)(i) and preceding word inserted (2.7.2002 for specified purposes, 7.4.2003 in so far as not already in force) by State Pension Credit Act 2002 (c. 16), s. 22(3), Sch. 1 para. 5; S.I. 2002/1691, art. 2(i); S.I. 2003/966, art. 2(a)

F4 Word in s. 2(2) repealed (29.4.2013) by Welfare Reform Act 2012 (c. 5), s. 150(3), Sch. 2 para. 44(a); S.I. 2013/983, art. 3(1)(b)(iii)

F5 S. 2(2)(j) and preceding word inserted (27.7.2008) by Welfare Reform Act 2007 (c. 5), s. 70(2), Sch. 3 para. 17(2); S.I. 2008/787, art. 2(3)(a)

F6 S. 2(2)(k) inserted (29.4.2013) by Welfare Reform Act 2012 (c. 5), s. 150(3), Sch. 2 para. 44(b); S.I. 2013/983, art. 3(1)(b)(iii)

F7 Word in s. 2(2)(k) omitted (6.4.2016) by virtue of Pensions Act 2014 (c. 19), s. 56(4), Sch. 12 para. 32(a)

F8 S. 2(2)(l) and word inserted (8.4.2013 for specified purposes, 10.6.2013 in so far as not already in force) by Welfare Reform Act 2012 (c. 5), s. 150(3), Sch. 9 para. 38; S.I. 2013/358, art. 7(1)(2)(k), Sch. 3; S.I. 2013/1250, art. 2

F9 S. 2(2)(m) inserted (6.4.2016) by Pensions Act 2014 (c. 19), s. 56(4), Sch. 12 para. 32(b)

F10 S. 2(2)(n) and preceding word inserted (6.4.2017) by Pensions Act 2014 (c. 19), s. 56(1), Sch. 16 para. 38; S.I. 2017/297, art. 3(2) (with arts. 4, 5)

Modifications etc. (not altering text)

C1 S. 2 applied (with modifications) (4.3.1999 for specified purposes, 5.7.1999 for specified purposes) by Pension Schemes Act 1993 (c. 48), s. 170(1) (as substituted by Social Security Act 1998 (c. 14), s. 87(2), Sch. 7 para. 131 (with s. 83, Sch. 6); S.I. 1999/528, art. 2(a), Sch.; S.I. 1999/1958, art. 2(1)(b), Sch. 1 (with art. 5, Sch. 12))

Commencement Information

I1 S. 2 in force at 29.11.1999 for specified purposes by S.I. 1999/3178, art. 2(1)(a)(2), Sch. 1 (with art. 4, Schs. 21-23)

I2 S. 2(1)(2)(b)-(h)(3) in force at 8.9.1998 by S.I. 1998/2209, art. 2(a), Sch. Pt. I

I3 S. 2(2)(a) in force at 5.7.1999 for specified purposes by S.I. 1999/1958, art. 2(1)(b), Sch. 1 (with art. 5, Sch. 12)

I4 S. 2(2)(a) in force at 6.9.1999 for specified purposes by S.I. 1999/2422, art. 2(c), Sch. 1 (with art. 4, Sch. 14)

I5 S. 2(2)(a) in force at 5.10.1999 for specified purposes by S.I. 1999/2739, art. 2, Sch. 1 (with art. 3, Sch. 2)

I6 S. 2(2)(a) in force at 18.10.1999 for specified purposes by S.I. 1999/2860, art. 2(c), Sch. 1 (with art. 4, Schs. 16-18)